It has been maintained that the European Union can best be considered a political system. Following this argument, foreign policy making in the EU should also be approached from a systemic perspective. Roughly, three main sources of foreign policy can be identified: the Common Foreign and Security Policy under Pillar II, external relations of the EU under Pillar I, and national foreign policies of the member states. The Northern Dimension policy is an interesting case in point because in various ways it touches upon all three areas.
Thus, officially, the Northern Dimension is an EU external relations policy and is therefore located within the responsibility of the Commission. However, it has been adopted as a response to an initiative of one member state, Finland, and it can safely be argued that essentially national foreign policy interests formed the base for this advance by Finland. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that the Northern Dimension can be considered a type of security policy, at least from the point of view of an extended, post-modernist, security policy agenda.
Not only for this reason is the Northern Dimension innovative and challenging for the EU. It is also meant to work and achieve its goals without any new institutional arrangements or additional money being spent. Indeed, these two aspects have widely been considered the main reasons for the relatively quick adoption of the initiative as an EU policy. At the same time, however, they have been the cause for substantial criticism and allegations that the initiative offers little to the Union beyond its rhetoric.
This paper will explore whether there is any basis to such claims. It will be argued that so far the Northern Dimension has indeed been rather poor in substance, at least when taking as a base for judgment the Action Plan it is guided by. Nevertheless, the initiative has considerable potential by virtue of how it is supposed to work. This is not to say that concrete outcomes won′t have to be achieved as well, but the way they might be reached is what could make the Northern Dimension act as a model for the EU′s external relations.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Rhetoric
- Diverging Interests between the Commission and the Member States
- The Case against the Northern Dimension
- The Substance
- A Postmodern Vision for the EU
- Conclusion
- Appendix
- Bibliography
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to examine the substance and potential of the EU's Northern Dimension policy, critically evaluating its claims and exploring its significance in the context of European foreign policy. The paper argues that while the Northern Dimension has been criticized for lacking concrete substance, particularly within the framework of its Action Plan, it holds significant potential for positive impact through its unique approach to cooperation and its ability to serve as a model for EU external relations.
- The Northern Dimension as a case study of EU foreign policy and its complexities.
- The role of national interests and initiatives in shaping EU policies.
- The balance between rhetoric and substance in EU policies.
- The potential of the Northern Dimension to foster stability and security through positive interdependence in the region.
- The significance of the Northern Dimension as a model for EU external relations.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter sets the scene by situating the Northern Dimension within the broader context of EU foreign policy, outlining its distinct characteristics, and introducing the key arguments and objectives of the paper. It highlights the Northern Dimension's innovative approach, drawing attention to its ambition to achieve its goals without requiring new institutional arrangements or additional funding.
- The Rhetoric: This chapter delves into the origins and motivations behind the Northern Dimension initiative, focusing on the Finnish proposal of 1997 and its subsequent development and implementation. It examines the policy's focus on "low-politics" issues, such as infrastructure development, environmental concerns, and cross-border cooperation, and explores the broader aim of promoting stability and security in the region.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key terms and concepts central to this work include: EU foreign policy, Northern Dimension, Action Plan, low-politics, stability, security, positive interdependence, cross-border cooperation, postmodern security agenda, rhetoric, substance, and the potential for EU external relations models.
- Quote paper
- Ralf Segeth (Author), 2002, The EU's Northern Dimension - rich in rhetoric, poor in substance?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/8769