Juridical Tribune (Oct 2019)

The EU Arctic policy and its critique: a view under Tocci´s theory on foreign policy and normative power (Part 2)

  • M. Elvira Méndez-Pinedo ,
  • Alesia Fralova

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. Special
pp. 29 – 46

Abstract

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What is the role of the European Union (EU) in the Arctic region? On what basis does it claim influence and/or authority (if any) over part of this vast area of the world? What can we learn about EU Arctic policy, tools and instruments adopted so far? Is the EU a normative foreign policy actor as described by Tocci´s theory? What factors do influence the adoption and validity of EU policies in this region? This study tries to reply to all these questions casting a light over an area of great geostrategic importance and at the crossroads of historic developments. In a first part we study the current EU Arctic policy and assess its strength and weaknesses according to literature. In a second part we summarize Tocci´s theory on kinds of normative policy actors and examine what kind of power is the EU exercising in the region.

Keywords