Description
In the pan-Arctic context, cooperation between different actors at different governance levels has a long tradition. While aiming to address regional and global challenges, this cooperation is also shaped by interdependencies and the different relationships of actors engaged in the Arctic. Against this backdrop, the proposed paper sheds light on the European Union (EU) and Saami organisations. As the only officially accepted Indigenous People in the EU, Saami people are one particular Arctic actor with whom the EU maintains diplomatic relations. Both Saami organisations and EU institutions represent a certain type of actorness and power, which challenge the traditional divide in International Relations (IR) between states and non-state actors. Building on literature from the field of transnational cooperation and critical IR, this paper seeks to analyse the Saami-EU relations out of a power-sensitive perspective to overcome existing gaps in the empirical and conceptual understanding of the role of power relationships in (European) Arctic politics. I approach the research question “Which role does power play in the developments and dynamics of the transnational cooperation between Saami organisations and EU institutions?” through applying a Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) of policy documents issued by both entities, of participatory observations of cooperation formats and through conducting qualitative interviews with Saami and EU representatives.
Keywords: Saami organisations, EU institutions, transnational cooperation, critical IR, power
