The Sámi's concerns span a range of areas, including climate, energy, land-use and environmental policies.
HELSINKI – The Sámi, the EU’s only recognised indigenous people, are calling for a greater role in EU decision-making, arguing that policies developed in Brussels often affect their traditional way of life without adequate consultation.
Senior Sámi politicians are stepping up efforts to influence EU policymaking, arguing that climate measures need a stronger focus on the Northern regions like Lapland most affected by the green transition.
As part of that push, they plan to open a Sámi “embassy” in Brussels and will attend a cross-party forum at the European Parliament in July aimed at strengthening Indigenous voices in EU decision-making.
There are an estimated 40,000 Sámi in Sweden, around 10,000 in Finland and some 65,000 in Norway, although precise figures are difficult to establish as none of the three countries records ethnicity in census data.
