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

• Main Authors: M. Elvira Méndez-Pinedo, Alesia Fralova
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; French
• Published: Bucharest University of Economic Studies 2019
• Subjects: arctic; eu policy; normative foreign policies; tocci´s theory; scipo; droit; Arctic
• Online Access: http://tribunajuridica.eu/arhiva/An9vS/3.%20Mendez-Pinedo,%20Fralova.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/227da256b26b4c1685814698f638dbef

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.