The European Union plans to double its financial support to Greenland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. Announcing the move on X, she described Europe and Greenland as “trusted and reliable partners” and said Brussels wanted to deepen cooperation.
No figure accompanied the statement. Under the current framework for Overseas Countries and Territories, EU support to Greenland is channelled through the Decision on Overseas Association (DOAG). The Commission’s country page cites a €225 million envelope for 2021–2027, with about 90% directed to education and 10% to green growth. A doubling on that baseline would imply a future package in excess of €450 million, subject to negotiation and formal adoption.
A separate report in September indicated the Commission had proposed “more than €530 million” for Greenland under the next multi-annual financial framework, aligning with the direction of travel set out by von der Leyen. That proposal will require agreement by the European Parliament and the Council as part of the wider EU budget talks.
The announcement came during an EU leaders’ meeting in Copenhagen on 1 October that focused on defence cooperation and airspace security following drone incursions reported by Denmark and other member states. While the Greenland funding was not tabled as a formal summit decision, it sits within a broader pattern of EU attention to the High North and Arctic security.
Strategic context
Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is central to Arctic shipping routes and hosts significant deposits of critical raw materials, including rare earth elements used in clean technologies. EU cooperation with Greenland has long prioritised education and skills, but recent Commission language also links the partnership to clean energy and technology supply chains. The Commission’s X posts referencing the announcement framed the aim as supporting “clean energy” and “technologies of the future.” Any re-weighting of programmes will be detailed in implementing documents once a final envelope is agreed.
Quajanac, dear Prime Minister Nielsen.
Europe and Greenland will always be each other’s trusted and reliable partners.
We want to deepen our cooperation. That’s why we aim to double our financial support to Greenland.
So we can deliver clean energy and create the technologies… pic.twitter.com/oufGyKLHVu
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 2, 2025
The political backdrop includes renewed statements by U.S. President Donald Trump this year asserting that the United States should “take control” of Greenland, prompting responses from Copenhagen and Nuuk restating that the island’s status is a matter for Greenlanders and the Danish realm. In March, von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s support for sovereignty and territorial integrity, a line echoed in Reuters’ coverage of the new funding signal.
What doubling would mean
EU–Greenland cooperation has been structured to deliver long-term education outcomes in Greenland’s school and vocational systems, alongside targeted investments in sustainable growth. If the envelope is doubled in the next budget cycle, Brussels is likely to maintain the education core while expanding programmes linked to green transition, connectivity and research. Past allocations have been disbursed through multi-year programmes with performance indicators agreed between the Commission and Greenlandic authorities. The precise breakdown for the next period will depend on the negotiated programming documents and any co-financing arrangements Denmark and Greenland choose to make.
For Copenhagen and Nuuk, a larger EU envelope would sit alongside national Danish funding and cooperation with other partners, including NATO and the United States, in areas such as infrastructure, search and rescue, and dual-use capabilities. The EU’s stated focus on clean energy and technology value chains suggests that any expansion will seek to align Greenland’s economic development with EU supply-chain resilience and environmental standards.
