Conference Agenda

The European Union (EU) is an increasingly prominent actor in Arctic affairs, despite its complex position within the region’s governance framework. Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, as both Arctic and EU member states, serve as direct conduits for the Union’s engagement in Arctic matters. Beyond these connections, the EU’s influence extends to non-member Arctic states like Norway through the European Economic Area (EEA), where it regulates key sectors such as environmental protection, fisheries management, and trade. However, the EU’s absence as an observer to the Arctic Council reveals institutional constraints that limit its formal participation in regional decision-making. The EU’s updated Arctic policy, published on October 13, 2021, signals a renewed commitment to the region’s sustainable future. It prioritizes the Arctic’s preservation as a zone of peaceful cooperation, addresses the accelerating impacts of climate change, and emphasizes the sustainable development of Arctic communities, particularly Indigenous Peoples. These goals reflect the EU’s dual role as a policy innovator and an advocate for inclusive governance in a region undergoing rapid transformation.

This research hypothesizes that the EU’s engagement in the Arctic is increasingly characterized by a strategic alignment of regulatory influence and normative ambitions, which enable it to shape Arctic outcomes despite institutional barriers. To test this hypothesis, the study will address the following questions: (1) How do the EU’s regulatory frameworks, such as the EEA, influence the environmental and economic policies of Arctic states? (2) What are the potential impacts of the EU’s updated Arctic policy on regional governance and its relations with Arctic Indigenous communities? By examining the EU’s role as both a regulatory power and a policy actor, this analysis contributes to the understanding of how the Union navigates the Arctic’s unique geopolitical, environmental, and social challenges.

The objective of this paper is to understand the influence of the European Union (EU) in the High Seas Treaty negotiations. The High Seas Treaty was adopted on 19 June 2023 after almost 20 years of negotiations. The EU participated in the discussions since the beginning in 2004. The treaty is considered as “a historic achievement” by the EU. The European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries at that time, Virginijus Sinkevicius, declared after the adoption that “the EU played a key role” in the negotiations and that he was “very proud of our outcome”. Exploratory interviews also seem to indicate that the EU had influence in the negotiations. However, the EU’s actual extent of influence and how it has influenced the negotiation outcome remains to be determined. This paper thus answers the following question: to what extent and how did the EU influence the negotiations? The EU’s influence will be studied at two levels: EU influence on the outcome of the negotiations (substantial level) and EU influence in reaching an agreement (procedural level). First, the level of EU influence will be determined through a content analysis. Then, using process-tracing, the paper will develop a causal mechanism linking the EU’s position in the constellation of interests to its level of influence. The EU’s influence will be studied from the first session of the Intergovernmental Conference in 2018, when the discussions about the text of the agreement really started. The triangulation of official documents and reports, interviews and data from the MARIPOLDATAbase will provide data to know and explain the EU’s influence in these negotiations.

The proposed paper explores the transformation in European air transport policies over the past two decades, focusing on the EU External Aviation Policy. The liberalisation efforts of the 1980s and 1990s reshaped the aviation sector, turning it into a vital component of European mobility and a global connector. Although liberalisation extended within the Community, external aviation policy remained under the purview of member states. As noted in the 1991 Report of the Committee of Transport and Tourism, the official reason was the lack of clarity about the direction of supranational policy to be implemented. Starting from this historical moment, the paper examines the vision of the EU External Aviation Policy, analysing its inception, development, and implementation. Drawing on archival resources, existing literature, policy observation, and interviews with EU officials, we explore key elements such as expanding negotiation frameworks, enhancing technical expertise, and proactive policy formulation. In the second stage, the study considers the implications of the EU position and policy within the broader context of global aviation governance, traditionally structured around reconciling the aspects of state sovereignty and regulatory control with the socio-economic benefits of liberalising traffic flows. This work integrates the rich literature on aviation law with political science, making an important contribution to the interdisciplinary inquiry on the vital segment of the global economy that the European Commission is trying to steer. The findings of case study contribute to the broader debate on the EU agency both domestically and internationally.

This research examines the process through which the European Commission facilitated the integration of aviation emissions into the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) while aligning with the global Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Using the aviation sector as a central case study, the research highlights the political and institutional complexities of implementing climate policy in a multi-level governance context, where regional regulatory initiatives intersect with global frameworks. Employing Two-Level Game Theory and Constructivist Role Theory, the study explores the dual leadership role of the European Commission—particularly DG CLIMA—in navigating internal EU dynamics and external negotiations with international actors.

Internally, the European Commission had to manage divergent Member State interests, with some nations prioritizing the competitiveness of their aviation industries, while others, including climate-progressive states, advocated for more stringent regional measures. Externally, the Commission faced the challenge of reconciling EU-level ambition with international aviation agreements under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The resulting policy outcomes sought to balance regional leadership through an enhanced EU ETS with the global alignment required under CORSIA, addressing tensions between regulatory sovereignty and international cooperation.

The research utilizes a qualitative approach, drawing on interviews with EU officials, policy documents, and process tracing of key decision-making milestones to analyze the interactions between the European Commission, Member States, the European Parliament, and international stakeholders. The analysis focuses on how the Commission navigated internal institutional tensions, coordinated diverse Member State positions, and engaged in global aviation governance to advance its dual objectives of climate ambition and international alignment.

This study contributes to the understanding of the European Commission’s leadership in integrating sectoral emissions into climate governance frameworks. It highlights how the Commission leveraged its position to bridge regional and global initiatives, demonstrating its capacity to adapt governance mechanisms to align diverse interests under complex multi-level constraints. The findings offer valuable insights into how supranational actors can mediate between competing policy demands, fostering innovation in global climate governance through sectoral leadership.