The European Union's First Steps on the Ice

Annelot SAENGER

Master's thesis

An Analysis on EU Policymaking on the Arctic

Geopolitics of a changing Arctic.

Abstract:

When fading into the background after the end of the Cold War, the Arctic gained renewed attention in the beginning of the 21st century. Climate change and the possibilities this brings for faster shipping routes and obtaining the region's untapped resources has made the Arctic an area of significant importance. The European Union (EU) tends to aim at playing a role as a normative geopolitical actor and this makes that the Arctic is an area of importance for the EU. This study therefore examines policymaking done by the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Looking at the period 2008-2019, with support of Nathalie Tocci's theory on 'Normative Foreign Policy', this analysis portrays if the EU has been able to make clear and coherent Arctic policy in the years following up 2007. This study highlights the difficulties that the EU institutions encountered in creating policy and it also zooms in on the conflicting normative role of the EU as a foreign policy actor, as the Union's core and minor norms tend to be conflicting in certain situations.

Abstract:

When fading into the background after the end of the Cold War, the Arctic gained renewed attention in the beginning of the 21st century. Climate change and the possibilities this brings for faster shipping routes and obtaining the region's untapped resources has made the Arctic an area of significant importance. The European Union (EU) tends to aim at playing a role as a normative geopolitical actor and this makes that the Arctic is an area of importance for the EU. This study therefore examines policymaking done by the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Looking at the period 2008-2019, with support of Nathalie Tocci's theory on 'Normative Foreign Policy', this analysis portrays if the EU has been able to make clear and coherent Arctic policy in the years following up 2007. This study highlights the difficulties that the EU institutions encountered in creating policy and it also zooms in on the conflicting normative role of the EU as a foreign policy actor, as the Union's core and minor norms tend to be conflicting in certain situations.

Keywords

European Union, Arctic, policymaking, normative foreign policy actor

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 2. 8. 2020

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. Lukáš Perutka, Ph.D.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Humanities / Euroculture