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Fuzzy Politics Around Fuzzy Borders: The European Union's `Near Abroad'

Authors:
Thomas Christiansen at LUISS Guido Carli, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali
Thomas Christiansen
FABIO PETITO
FABIO PETITO
FABIO PETITO
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Ben Tonra at University College Dublin
Ben Tonra
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Abstract

The external borders of the European Union (EU) are becoming increasingly difficult to delineate as it exports policies to states beyond its own membership. While the EU possesses a clearly defined membership, its borders are `fuzzy'. The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of these `fuzzy' borders on the EU's neighbours - and its resulting `fuzzy' politics. Two case studies are considered: the Baltic States and the Mediterranean. In each, the authors seek to assess the impact of EU relations with these two regions. Four tentative conclusions are drawn. First, the EU is indeed surrounded by regions that can be regarded as intermediate spaces between the inside and outside of the Union, and these regions have indeed become the targets of significant `policy-export'. Over time, the EU has developed substantial interests and significant influence in what can be called the `near abroad'. Second, the EU does not possess a coherent policy of dealing with this `near abroad'. An uneasy mix of initiatives often contradicts the stated goal of region-to-region relations. Third, EU relations with the two regions actually appear to serve rather opposing functions - simultaneously facilitating enlargement and non-enlargement. Finally, the regional impact of EU policies varies considerably as a consequence of the different geo-political and institutional context in the two regions.
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Cooperation and Conflict
http://cac.sagepub.com/content/35/4/389
The online version of this article can be found at:
DOI: 10.1177/00108360021962183
2000 35: 389Cooperation and Conflict
THOMAS CHRISTIANSEN, FABIO PETITO and BEN TONRA
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Fuzzy Politics Around Fuzzy Borders: The European Union's `Near
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... This process of border fuzzification takes place also at the outer EU borders in form of EU accession policies as the belonging to the EU is becoming fuzzy. In this light, it is hard to continue in inside/outside EU dichotomy and as an alternative Christiansen et al (2000) introduce term 'EU's near abroad'. EU borders and EU border policies produce interfaces and intermediate spaces between the inside and the outside. ...
... These borders are moving zones spatially and temporarily and they can be crossed by people, but also goods, capital or ideas. However, this does not mean that borders are vanishing or there are processes leading to total de-bordering, rather the degree of fuzziness of borders needs to be recognized Christiansen et al (2000). Globalization in form of increasing flows of capital, goods, people and information across states borders are creating new transactional identities challenging the old dominance of the state. ...
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