Local Dimensions of a Wider Europe: By-Passing the Traditional Foreign Policy Agenda

Much of the study of International Relations generally focuses on the actions of states vis-à-vis other states. Likewise, the study of the foreign relations of the European Union also tends to focus on its dealings with the governments of its interlocutors. This applies to many studies of the EU’s security strategies and the strategy towards the countries bordering on the union, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Such a state-centric approach makes good sense in analysing many of the EU’s dealings with the outside world. In many of its foreign relations the EU does indeed act in a manner not entirely dissimilar to that of nation states, and this is an increasing tendency. In this view the objectives pursued under the ENP can be seen as part of an overarching geopolitical strategy aiming to bring countries closer to the European ‘norm’ and to strengthen Europe’s influence in these countries, thus ultimately trying to enhance its own security (Alibioni, 2005; Marchetti, 2006). While these approaches go a long way to explain the objectives of the EU and the state level interactions, it is at the same time worth exploring some of the processes that are involved and look beyond the traditional state-to-state forms of foreign policy. The theory of complex interdependence (Keohane & Nye, 1977) moves away from seeing states as simple unitary actors. Rather this theory holds that in the modern world several more actors are playing a role in foreign policy, and that the international scene has become much more fluid as a result. These developments do not remove the importance of the traditional role of the state, but they do muddy the picture significantly in a number of important ways, as corporate interests, civil society and various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are coming increasingly into focus. At the same time more policy areas have gained prominence in international politics; environmental matters, democracy and human rights, developmental aid among others. The increased fluidity of the international scene, which has partly