The EU's Maritime Security Strategy: A Neo-Medieval Perspective on the Limits of Soft Security?

Research output: Contribution to a Journal (Peer & Non Peer)Review articlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper offers a critical interpretation of the EU's recent Maritime Security Strategy (MSS) of 2014, making distinctions between hard and soft conceptions of maritime security. The theoretical approach employed invokes the 'EU as neo-medieval empire' (Bull 1977: 254-255; Rennger 2006; Zielonka 2006). By this account, the main objectives of EU maritime strategy are stability and encouragement of globalised maritime trade flows to be achieved using the classic instruments of 'soft maritime security'. While replete with great possibilities, the EU's maritime security strategy is likely to be a relatively weak maritime security regime, which suffers from a number of important limits.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9-38
Number of pages30
JournalCroatian International Relations Review
Volume22
Issue number75
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • European Union
  • hard and soft conceptions
  • maritime security strategy

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