The Commission exerts far more influence over EU foreign and security policy than is commonly recognised

Given the political sensitivity of foreign affairs, the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) has generally been understood as one of the most intergovernmental forms of EU decision-making, with national governments maintaining high levels of control over their involvement in joint-actions. As such, it is often assumed that the European Commission plays only a minor role in the decision-making process, but is this actually the case in reality? Based on a recent study, Marianne Riddervold writes that the Commission has exerted a surprising level of influence over CFSP decisions. She argues that in light of these findings it may be necessary to reassess our understanding of how foreign and security policies are determined

Reactive Power EU: Russian Aggression and the Development of an EU Arctic Policy

There are many factors driving the development of European Union (EU) foreign policy. While much of the literature focuses on how particular interests, norms or internal processes within Brussels institutions, this article sheds light on the role of external factors in shaping EU foreign policy through an in-depth examination of the recent development of EU Arctic policies. We find that increased Russian aggression, not least in Ukraine, is key to understanding why the EU recently has taken a strong interest in the Arctic. In a more insecure environment, Member States are more prone to develop common policies to counter other powers and gain more influence over future developments, especially as it relates to regime-formation in the Global Commons. In effect, the EU demonstrates a kind of reactive power when it comes to dealing with new geopolitical threats.publishedVersio

Not so unique after all? Urgency and norms in EU foreign and security policy

The EU Global Strategy puts ‘principled pragmatism’ at the core of EU foreign and security policy. This has also been promoted as away of closing the gap between talk and action. Still, the concept has been widely criticized and interpreted as away of making the Union’s ‘organized hypocrisy’ less glaring. By exploring key EU foreign and security policy strategies and policies implemented over the past decade, this article suggests that a certain pattern for when the EU acts normatively and when it acts strategically can be identified. While the overall ambition is still to promote a more normative policy, also when it comes at a considerable economic cost, there is a limit to how it is willing to go. Evidence suggests that when faced with a situation perceived as urgent, the EU becomes more prone to implement policies that are at odds with its own principles.publishedVersio

The Commission’s informal agenda-setting in the CFSP. Agenda leadership, coalition-building, and community framing

Author´s accepted manuscript.Available from 17/08/2021.This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Comparative European Politics. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41295-020-00218-1.acceptedVersio

Introduction: cooperation, conflict, and interaction in the global commons

The global commons – the High Seas, Antarctica, the Atmosphere, and Outer Space – are resource domains outside the authority of states. Historically, the global commons have been practically inaccessible and thus rarely subject to sovereignty claims and international regulations. With technological advances and environmental developments, the global commons have become a key site for international relations (hereinafter IR). Despite often competing claims from state and non-state actors to these areas, the global commons have remained mainly cooperative. This is not what one would expect from most IR perspectives in a close to anarchical environment and a volatile geopolitical international environment. This Special Issue sets out to address this puzzle by asking: To what extent and why is there little conflict in the global commons? For this purpose, this introduction develops a common framework that distinguishes between three models and corresponding hypotheses of the factors affecting the level of cooperation and conflict in these domains. While two are based on realist and liberal IR perspectives, we draw on constructivism, political theory, and law to develop a third model, called the Human Heritage model. To conclude, this introduction also sums up the findings and discusses their implications for the global commons and IR studiespublishedVersio

Failing through: European migration governance across the central Mediterranean

Both today and under Gaddafi’s authoritarian rule, externalised migration controls have played a crucial role in EUropean irregular mobility governance across the Central Mediterranean. Offloading migration management on Tripoli is puzzling due to the fragility of its institutions, the ill-preparedness of its security forces, and widespread abuse against migrants. Why have European member states and EU institutions relapsed to relying on Libyan forces to govern irregular migration? In this paper, we argue that the EU has failed through the migration crisis in the Central Mediterranean by drawing on already established albeit ineffective and contentious policy tools. The collapse of Libya’s state apparatus, European Court of Human Rights’ censure of Italy’s illegal pushbacks and public opinion pressure temporarily displaced but did not fundamentally change EUrope’s restrictive approach to irregular mobility governance. While some new and less restrictive border enforcement policies were developed in response to the soaring death toll, this humanitarian turn was short-lived. By combining the mechanism of failing forward with institutionalist insights, our concept of failing through explains why the EU and its member states soon backslid into pre-existing institutional arrangements like bilateral agreements with Libyan authorities notwithstanding their problematic legal, ethical and political implications.publishedVersio

The European Maritime Security and Defence Policy Architecture: Implications for Norway

Maritime security is high on the international and European security agenda, hence a number of new initiatives and actions have developed within the EU, NATO and through bilateral/minilateral agreements. To increase the common capabilities of Europe and secure more targeted responses, there is a need for better coordination between different organizations and forums. NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept and the EU’s parallel Strategic Compass offer an opportunity to do this. Bilateral and minilateral defence groupings can strengthen European maritime security by accelerating capability development and fostering improved levels of interoperability. Norway should further develop its political dialogue and practical cooperation with the EU, and secure participation in major defence initiatives like the EDF and PESCO, various programmes, and cooperative arrangements with the European Defence Agency (EDA). Norway should pursue further leadership roles within NATO to bolster both its national interests and transatlantic security within the maritime security domain. Norway should actively promote enhanced EUNATO cooperation on maritime security issues, including closer alignment of strategic thinking, policies and investments of the two organisations. Mini-lateral’ structures can allow Norway to join forces with like-minded nations to act rapidly on maritime issues of common importance.publishedVersio

What previous crises tell us about the likely impact of Covid-19 on the EU

The Covid-19 crisis and its wide-ranging consequences illustrate the importance of understanding how the EU responds to crises. Drawing on a forthcoming book, Jarle Trondal, Marianne Riddervold and Akasemi Newsome discuss the potential long-term impact of Covid-19 on the EU. They write that while the initial response to the pandemic was slow, history suggests the EU will probably muddle through this crisis just as it has in the past

Institusjonalisering av sosial bærekraft i boligsektoren

I 2015 ble 2030-agendaen med 17 bærekraftmål vedtatt av alle FNs medlemsland, mål som skal se miljø, økonomi og sosial utvikling i en sammenheng for å bekjempe ulikhet og stoppe klimaendringene innen 2030. Nasjonalt har agendaen blitt fulgt gjennom statlige forventninger og strategier, og en nasjonal plan for å nå bærekraftsmålene skal etter planen publiseres før sommeren 2021. Regjeringen understreker i nasjonale forventinger og strategier at sosial bærekraft skal være et premiss for boligbyggingen. Samtidig pågår det en samfunnsdebatt der det kommer frem at det mangler en klar språklig definisjon og detaljering av strategisk tenkning og gjennomføring av sosial bærekraft i boligsektoren. Hvorvidt statlige myndigheter skal lykkes i å nå målene om sosial bærekraftig boligutvikling vil avhenge av et godt samspill mellom viktige aktører innenfor offentlig og privat sektor. I denne oppgaven stilles det spørsmål om sosial bærekraft blir institusjonalisert på en enhetlig måte innenfor boligsektoren i Tromsø kommune. I denne studien er det gjennomført dokumentanalyse og kvalitativ case-studie geografisk avgrenset til Tromsø kommune. Analysen er basert på empiriske data fra intervjuer av sentrale aktører i by- og tettstedsutviklingen i Tromsø. Det er tatt utgangspunkt i Scotts (2014) tre institusjonelle pilarer, den regulative, normative og kulturelt-kognitive. Gjennom dokumentstudiet og intervju undersøker jeg hvordan de tre pilarene i institusjonalisering kom til uttrykk og hvordan de påvirker hverandre i arbeidet med sosial bærekraft i boligutviklingen. Studien viser at sosial bærekraft har fått en tydeligere posisjon i boligutvikling, og det er mulig å se institusjonell endring knyttet til bruk og omtale. Den regulative pilaren er i ferd med å styrkes nasjonalt, og vises tydelig lokalt blant annet i kommuneplans samfunnsdel og i utbyggingsprogram for Tromsø kommune. De normative forventninger til sosial bærekraft begynner å få et fotfeste hos aktører i boligsektoren og blant allmennheten. Derimot er den kultur-kognitive pilaren mindre fremtredende. Det kan i verste fall bidra til å forsinke institusjonaliseringen av sosial bærekraft innen boligsektoren. Videre viser studiet at det er grunnlag for å hevde at det begynner å utformes en felles sosial forståelse for hva og hvorfor sosial bærekraft er viktig i boligutviklingen

Åpning av Melbybekken på Skjetten: bærekraftig transformasjon av området

Dagens samfunn blir stadig minnet på at klimaendringene er et faktum, og at det oftere er mer ekstremt vær, enten i form av mer nedbør, varmere vær, flere stormer eller tørke. Når det regner kommer det gjerne mer nedbør på kortere tid enn tidligere, og tørkeperioder varer gjerne lenger. For hver gang slike hendelser skjer, ser man at samfunnet ikke er rustet for disse endringene, og at det må gjøres tiltak for å tilpasse seg fremtidens klima. Samtidig må vi gjøre tiltak for å bremse den negative utviklingen for klimaendringene og tap av natur. Denne oppgaven handler om hvordan åpning av Melbybekken på Skjetten i Lillestrøm kommune kan føre til en bærekraftig transformasjon av området. Oppgaven er en del av masterklasse 2023 ved NMBUs bærekraftsarena TOWARDS. Oppgaven går gjennom hva bærekraft er, og hvordan dette er aktuelt for prosjektområdet. For å svare på dette er det nødvending å gå gjennom status og problemer innenfor særlig bærekraftsdimensjonen klima og miljø. Videre analyseres området og det sees på aktuelle bærekraftsmål. Oppgaven gjennomgår mulige tiltak for ulike arealtyper og kobler tiltakene til bærekraftsmål, for deretter å komme med anbefalinger av tiltak for nedbørsfeltet til Melbybekken. Oppgaven konkluderer med at bekkeåpningen kan gi en bærekraftig transformasjon av området, men det krever at flere tiltak enn kun bekkeåpningen blir gjort. Å utføre en bekkeåpning kan f.eks. bedre klimatilpasningen i området, men kan også gi økt forekomst av fremmede arter. Dersom bekkeåpningsprosjektet skal føre til en bærekraftig transformasjon av området, må det gjøres effektive, og mange nok tiltak, og disse må sees i sammenheng.Today's society is constantly reminded that climate change is a fact, and that there is more extreme weather more often, either in the form of more rainfall, warmer weather, more storms or drought. When it rains, there is usually more precipitation in a shorter time than before, and dry periods tend to last longer. Every time such events occur, one sees that today's society is not equipped for these changes, and that measures must be taken to adapt to the future climate. At the same time, we must take measures to slow down the negative development of climate change and the loss of nature. This thesis is about how opening the Melbybekken at Skjetten in Lillestrøm municipality can lead to a sustainable transformation of the area. The thesis is part of the 2023 master's class at NMBU's sustainability arena TOWARDS. The assignment defines sustainability, and how this is applicable to the project area. In order to answer this, it is necessary to review the status and problems within the climate and environment sustainability dimension in particular. Furthermore, the area is analyzed and current sustainability targets are looked at. The task reviews possible measures for different types of land and links the measures to sustainability goals, and then makes recommendations of measures for the area of the watershed to the stream. The thesis concludes that the opening of the stream can provide a sustainable transformation of the area, but it requires more measures than just the opening of the stream will be carried out. Carrying out a stream opening can e.g. improve climate adaptation in the area, but can also increase the occurrence of unwanted species. If the stream opening project is to lead to a sustainable transformation of the area, effective and sufficient measures must be taken, and these must all be seen in context