Conceptualizing the ‘new’ Northern Dimension : A Common Policy based on Sectoral Partnerships

• The Northern Dimension (ND) initiative officially launched by the EU a decade ago has recently been transformed in order to better reflect the current situation in Northern Europe, where four Baltic Sea states became EU members in 2004 and where Russia and the EU are developing their relationship based on four Common Spaces. From initially being developed as an EU foreign policy initiative, the ND is today considered a ‘common policy’ of four equal partners—the EU, Russia, Norway and Iceland. The rather innovative elements of the ‘new’ ND policy make it challenging to address from a conceptual point of view. In the study at hand the author addresses the characteristics of the ‘new’ ND in relation to its development over the last decade. The author argues that insights drawn from international regime theory seem pertinent when it comes to conceptualizing the transformation of the ND into a ‘common policy’ of four equal partners based on a number of emerging sectoral partnerships, contributing to its concrete implementation.

Keyword

EU foreign policy

sectoral partnerships

Northern Dimension policy

Research on Europe

Forskning om Europa

Political Science

Statsvetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)