Challenges of Protecting the Baltic Sea

Report

Governing the blue-green Baltic Sea – Societal challenges of marine eutrophication prevention

Eutrophication is currently regarded as the most serious ecological problem for the whole Baltic Sea. Considering that the Baltic Sea has already been the focus of environmental management efforts for 40 years, it is surprising that the ecological state of the Baltic Sea is not improving. This implies that protective efforts such as international and national policies and regulations, as well as their implementation, have not been effective enough. The aim of the PROBALT report is to improve Baltic Sea eutrophication protection by identifying the challenges of more effective Baltic Sea eutrophication governance at national, regional and European Union levels, and the examination of nutrient trading as an instrument to more effectively combat eutrophication. The report outlines four sets of measures that, on the basis of the case studies, are urgently needed at various governance levels - ranging from international to local. PROBALT is an international research project coordinated by FIIA and funded through the BONUS+ research programme.

EU Foreign Policy Towards the BRICS

European Parliament Report

The EU Foreign Policy towards the BRICS and Other Emerging Powers: Objectives and Strategies

FIIA and College of Europe/K.U.Leuven researchers have co-authored a report commissioned by the European Parliament. The report argues that while the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are not acting as a coherent bloc in international forums, BRICS-coordination has an impact upon international negotiations, e.g. in the G20. They are often able to set the agenda, shift the terms of the debate or block proposals. This has negative effects for the EU’s ability to pursue its interests. The EU has not been able to substantially upgrade its relations with individual BRICS countries through "strategic partnerships" or to prepare itself to the shifting global balance of power. This study presents four options for the EU to further develop the strategic partnerships and to engage more actively with emerging powers: fusing, focusing, diffusing and diluting.

An Emerging Economic Order

BOFIT Discussion Paper

Conditionality in Chinese Bilateral Lending

China’s long insistence on non-interference and sovereignty has contributed to a widely held impression that China lends abroad without attaching policy conditions. FIIA Researcher Mikael Mattlin and Matti Nojonen argue that the assumption of China’s shunning conditionality is valid only if the term is taken narrowly to imply the specific set of policy conditions (e.g. privatisation and financial liberalisation) routinely called for by World Bank Group lenders. The paper identifies four types of conditionality in Chinese bilateral lending.

The Road to Durban Climate Summit

Together Alone: BASIC countries and the climate change conundrum

Since 2009, Brazil, South Africa, India and China – known as the BASIC group of countries – have cooperated in international climate negotiations, reflecting their aspiration to have a larger say in global politics. For real insight into the BASIC group’s approach, it is necessary to grasp the development concerns of each country and the geopolitical value they see in cooperation, the authors of a recent Nordic Council of Ministers report argue. FIIA Researcher Antto Vihma has cowritten this report.

FIIA launches a new publication series

Finnish Foreign Policy Papers

From Cold War to Common Currency: A personal perspective on Finland and the EU

On its 50th anniversary, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs published a treatise on Finland’s joining the European Union, written by Eric Hayes, a former official of the European Commission. Mr. Hayes’ text, entitled From Cold War to Common Currency, is a detailed story of how Finland decided to apply for membership in the European Community (later to become the European Union) and what were the main challenges during the accession negotiations. Mixing political history with personal observations, Mr. Hayes paints an elaborate picture of how Finland “came in from the cold”. The publication of Eric Hayes’ work marks the launch of a new publication series by FIIA, Finnish Foreign Policy Papers. As the name implies, the papers published in this series will concentrate on Finnish foreign policy.

The Future of Europe

Briefing Paper

Swimming in murky waters: Challenges in developing the EU's external representation

The strongest motivating factor in favour of the EU’s more unified external representation is the fear of external insignificance. However, constructing a foreign ministry for a supranational entity with unified external representation is not easy. The early compromises on external representation remain fragile and the process is compounded in a time of economic crisis and political instabilities in the member states.