At present, regional regulation of sustainable development is undergoing significant changes, with the Arctic being a particularly telling example in this context, a territory on which not only circumpolar states, but also other countries and international organizations with "Arctic interests" are concentrating their attention. It is worth noting that with the strengthening of the legal regulation of sustainable development, one of the most revealing examples may be the evolution of such regulation in the European Union (EU), which is trying to influence both directly and indirectly.