This essay tries to outline incipient geopolitical conflicts in and beyond contemporary Europe, which might change its security perceptions, strategies and aspirations permanently. The attention of this essay is focused on two territorial challenges beyond European borders with direct effect upon its security. The first one deals with the Arctic Zone and the geopolitical disputes between its neighbouring states. The second one concerns the deepening securitization of outer space and its impact on the European sphere.
Contemporary Europe faces new emerging territorial challenges, which are not located inside Europe but in its geographical periphery and beyond. Various territorial conflicts, in particular those between successor states of the former Soviet Union (SU) or former Yugoslavia, were present throughout the 1990s and sometimes even resolved only recently, such as the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia in summer 2010. Nevertheless, these are not the only territorial conflicts affecting the European security structure.
Territory is an important security issue encased in geostrategic politics in Europe as well as in world affairs and has been broadly examined and assessed by scholars. In modern geopolitical analyses the emphasis is not ‘classical understanding of spatial borders and territory of a nation-state, but more about transcending these borders. The driving force of this school of thought is to understand why and how states in world politics aim to secure territory beyond their own borders. This recent development matters to Europe as much as it does to the US, Russia and other nations in international relations. And by far, this is an issue related to individual, regional and collective security identity.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT GEOPOLITICS
3. ‘TERRESTRIAL’ CHALLENGES: THE ARCTIC REGION AS A SAFETY HAZARD
4. ‘EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL’ CHALLENGES: SECURITIZING OUTER SPACE?
5. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this research paper is to examine contemporary territorial and geopolitical challenges that emerge beyond traditional national boundaries and how these developments influence European security perceptions. The study investigates two specific dimensions: the territorial disputes within the Arctic Zone and the increasing securitization of outer space.
- Evolution of geopolitical concepts and territory in a globalized world.
- Territorial disputes and geostrategic interests in the Arctic region.
- Legal and security implications of outer space militarization.
- The necessity for a coherent and unified European security strategy regarding emerging frontiers.
Excerpt from the Book
‘TERRESTRIAL’ CHALLENGES: THE ARCTIC REGION AS A SAFETY HAZARD
In March 2010, the new issue of the Armed Forces Journal (published by Gannett Company) was headlined ‘Cold War’ and featured with ostentation an American icebreaker on the way to the polar circle. Apart from this double entendre of a conflict between the US and today´s Russia in one of the coldest regions on earth, the teaser illustrated the rising importance of the Arctic Zone to all adjacent states. The US, Russia, Norway, Canada and Denmark (Greenland), the so-called ‘polar states’ (Winkelmann 2007, p. 2), are the parties participating in the race to the Arctic that could peak anytime soon. In this region, various policy interests of those various actors clash at various borders. A clear definition of the Arctic can hardly satisfy geopolitical requirements (cf. Keskitalo 2004, pp. 25-52). Geographically, the Arctic Zone is often understood as a monocentric region and commonly described as the ‘circumpolar north’ (ibid., p. 34). This approach conceptualizes the North Pole as the corresponding centre.
For the purpose of this essay, a cartographic classification is anyhow not useful. The geopolitical structuring of actors around the Arctic region is considered to be more important and can be make along both a political and a legal dimension. The Arctic Council – an intergovernmental advisory committee including all ‘polar states’ together with Iceland, Sweden and Finland – covers the former. The latter dimension is to the greatest extent regulated under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which concedes a 200-mile exclusive economic zone off the coast to all signatories (1982, Art. 55). The ratification of UNCLOS can thus be seen as the very beginning of a new Arctic geopolitical agenda, because without it the neighbouring states would not share any frontiers nowadays.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter outlines the scope of the research, highlighting emerging territorial challenges in the Arctic and outer space that shift security concerns beyond European borders.
2. THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT GEOPOLITICS: The section defines geopolitics and examines the transition from Westphalian border-based security toward a more fluid, globalized understanding of territorial competition.
3. ‘TERRESTRIAL’ CHALLENGES: THE ARCTIC REGION AS A SAFETY HAZARD: This chapter analyzes the competing national interests in the Arctic, the role of UNCLOS, and the risks of military tension in a resource-rich environment.
4. ‘EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL’ CHALLENGES: SECURITIZING OUTER SPACE?: The chapter explores the legal and military status of space, discussing how the lack of clear demarcation poses security threats to national territories on Earth.
5. CONCLUSION: The concluding chapter synthesizes the arguments, emphasizing that Europe must formulate proactive, multilateral policies to address the security implications of these new territorial dynamics.
Keywords
Geopolitics, European Security, Arctic Zone, Outer Space, Territorial Challenges, UNCLOS, Securitization, Sovereignty, Climate Change, Military Strategy, International Relations, Geostrategy, Space Governance, Polar States, Border Disputes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how contemporary security challenges are shifting from internal European borders to new, peripheral territories, specifically focusing on the Arctic and outer space.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study centers on the definition of geopolitics, the race for Arctic resources, the legal status of outer space, and the implications of these areas for European strategic autonomy.
What is the main research question of the work?
The author questions how the demarcation and prospective exploitation of non-occupied territories, such as the Arctic and outer space, redefine and shape modern European security architecture.
Which scientific methodology is applied in the paper?
The research utilizes a qualitative approach, analyzing existing geopolitical theories, international legal frameworks, and current policy discourses to interpret security dynamics.
What is discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the specific challenges of the 'circumpolar north', the influence of the Arctic Council, and the history and future of space weaponization and governance.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Geopolitics, European Security, Arctic Zone, Outer Space, and Securitization.
How does the author define the 'vague territory' concept?
It refers to geopolitical areas lying beyond traditional national sovereignty that are becoming sites of competition and potential military tension.
Why is a common European policy regarding the Arctic considered necessary?
The author argues that without a unified strategy and influence within the Arctic Council, Europe risks being sidelined in critical international negotiations regarding resources and trade routes.
What is the significance of the Elektron incident mentioned in the text?
It serves as a case study illustrating how even minor border disputes between actors can lead to diplomatic tensions and demonstrate the instability of existing maritime borders.
- Quote paper
- Ron Böhler (Author), 2011, Geopolitics in contemporary Europe. Analysis of incipient territorial dispute, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/376558
