The European Union and Arctic Security: First Steps Towards a New Paradigm?

February 2022 was a turning point in European history and is predicted to become a historical turning point for the European Union (EU). The return of hard power considerations at the EU’s borders has also forced EU policymakers to think in geopolitical terms. While this is a complex task in itself, it becomes even more challenging in the Arctic context.

Arctic security and cooperation are in flux, and the EU is a complicated geopolitical creature, constantly in the process of defining what kind of geopolitical actor it wants to be (or is allowed to be by its member states). The special nature of the EU in the international context as well as the complicated division of competencies between the EU and its member states make the EU a unique global actor, and as a consequence thereof, a unique Arctic actor. Although the EU has competencies in many policies pertaining to the Arctic—either exclusive to, shared with or complementary to the member states—its foreign and security policy remains a policy domain that is very much dominated by the member states. From an EU-Arctic perspective, this setup becomes even more complex because Arctic-related concerns reside in Brussels within the realm of a soft policy—not written into treaties and with no distinct budget line. Importantly, there is no set rule book on how the EU could contribute to Arctic security.