EU and the Arctic – Back to Traditional Geopolitics?

The Arctic is becoming one of the hotspots of international geopolitics. With the ice melting, the prospect of controlling strategically and economically important new sea lines and untapped natural resources is creating a race between states who want territorial control or equal access. Russia is making territorial claims, China demands access and a seat at the table, while the USA, Canada and the European states – some of which have borders to the Arctic – are struggling to find ways of dealing with this new reality. From an analytical perspective, there are two main solutions to the Arctic issue: Territorial control by a few states, or some sort of common global regulation. In the face of this changing geopolitical reality, also the European Union (EU) member states are developing a common Arctic policy. But what kind of Arctic power is the EU becoming? The EU is often referred to as a humanitarian or soft foreign policy actor, promoting norms and common regulation. Several of the EU member states have however expressed strong interests in the Arctic – some even making territorial claims. It might thus also be that the EU is developing into a traditional power in relation to the Arctic; that the member states are joining forces to get the power to promote common interests in a changing, non-hegemonic world. This paper studies the relevance of these two models of EU foreign policy to tease out the type of power it is becoming in relation to the Arctic.