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LISBON ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
Atlantic´s Blue Growth
December 4-5. 2013
EU ATLANTIC STRATEGY. A GEOPOLITICAL APPROACH
Juan Luis Suarez de Vivero.
Department of Human Geography. University of Seville.
www.marineplan.es
The definition of the geographical scenarios that stretch
beyond coastal States’ jurisdictional boundaries suggests a
position is being taken up with respect to the configuration of
geopolitically interesting areas where global leadership issues
are in play, such as the Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Strategy paves the way for a new ‘Atlanticism’
characterised by the shift of the centre of gravity of economic
and political power to the southern hemisphere and the
correlative weakening of North Atlantic powers.
200
Millions Sq. km
The Atlantic strategy represents a step-up in action in the EU’s
marine basins in the framework of the Integrated Maritime
Policy. Together these basins comprise a maritime universe
that easily surpasses the confines of its 28 member States as
they effectively exist planet wide.
EU jurisdictions by Sea/Ocean and Seas/Oceans surface
150
100
50
0
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Total Sea/Ocean
Southern Ocean
Arctic Ocean
EU waters
3,0
2,5
Millions Sq. km
“Broadly speaking the strategy will cover the coasts, territorial
and jurisdictional waters of the five EU Member States with an
Atlantic coastline – France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the
United Kingdom as well as international waters reaching
westward to the Americas, eastward to Africa and the Indian
Ocean, southward to the Southern Ocean and northward to
the Arctic Ocean” [COM(2011) 782 final, p. 1].
2,0
1,5
1,0
0,5
0,0
Mediterranean Sea
North Sea
Black Sea
Baltic Sea
EU jurisdictions by Sea/Ocean
Regional dimension of the
Integrated Maritime Policy
Mediterranean
Sea
The complex package that is
the EU’s Integrated Maritime
Policy revolves around five key
points, one of which integrates
the strategies of the various
marine basins.
In relative
terms, the size of EU
jurisdiction dominates in the
Baltic (94%) and the North Sea
(76%), but the most extensive
areas of jurisdiction in
absolute terms are to be
found in the Atlantic basin.
Baltic Sea
North Sea
Black Sea
Arctic Ocean
Southern
Ocean
Atlantic
Ocean
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean: political geography
a) Despite its size, over 45 % of the Atlantic basin is under national jurisdiction (exclusive economic zone plus extended continental shelf) and
this reflects a maritime space where the ‘commons’ have been seriously eroded.
b) The European Union has notable jurisdictional weight: a third (29%) of all the exclusive economic zone in the ocean but this rises to 33% of
the whole basin under national jurisdiction (EEZ+ECS), which represents a major share of responsibility for its governance, even though EU
coastal States only make up 9% of those that surround it (64 countries).
c) Slightly over half of member States’ EEZs and over a third of the extended continental shelf are outside the sphere of the European Atlantic,
including a significant presence in the southern hemisphere.
Atlantic Ocean: Maritimime jurisdictions
60
Millions Sq. km
50
40
30
20
Atlantic Ocean: Maritimime jurisdictions
10
0
High seas
Area
EEZ
ECS
d) This contrasts with the small number of European States (five), with hypothetical
jurisdiction over the continental shelf beyond 200 nm . This constitutes 40% of this
jurisdiction in the Atlantic due, above all, to Portugal’s insularity and relative position.
e) Archipelagos and islands generate 35% of all the EEZ in the Atlantic and 49% of the
extended continental shelf, with EU territories contributing 25% and 38%,
respectively.
f) Six of the ten most extensive States in the world (land and sea) and five of the ten
States with the most extensive marine jurisdiction give on to the Atlantic Ocean. Two
of the most populated countries in the world and four of those with the highest GDPs
are Atlantic coastal States.
Jurisdictions of EU member States in the Atlantic Ocean (Sq.km)
EEZ (28,7% of the total Atlantic EEZ)
8.442.194
ECS (40,1% of the total Atlantic ECS)
Total EU Atlantic jurisdictions
EU EEZ (in Europe)
Overseas EEZ
EU ECS (in Europe)
Overseas ECS
Total jurisdictions in Europe
Total overseas jurisdictions
4.423.881
12.866.075
3.698.460
4.743.734
2.739.009
1.703.262
6.437.469
6.446.996
EU Neighborhood Policies (Atlantic Ocean)
EU countries Non-EU countries
Policies and cooperation tools
Portugal,
Iceland, Norway, Greenland (Denmark), Canada, USA,  Transatlantic Agenda (USA)
Spain,
Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Antigua &  EU-Canada Partnership
France,
Barbuda, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica, Brazil, Argentina,
 European Neighbourhood Policy (Morocco)
United
Uruguay, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago,
 European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway)
Kingdom,
Venezuela, Chile, Morocco, Mauritania, Cape Verde,  Nordic Council (Iceland, Norway, Greenland)
Eire
Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria,
 EU-CELAC Dialogue (Latin America and Caribbean)
Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Sao Tome &
 Joint-EU Africa Strategy (African countries)
Principe, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Rep. Congo, Benin,
 EU-ACP relations (African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States)
Gambia, Togo, Cameroon, Democratic Rep. of the
 Development Cooperation Instrument (Latin America)
Congo, Namibia, Angola, South Africa
 Development Cooperation Instrument (South Africa)
EU and Atlantic Governance
With the formulation of an ocean-scale strategy in the context of the IMP, along with all the other regional strategies, the maritime sector is not only understood to
be a strategic sector for driving economic growth (blue growth), but that it is also the reflection of geopolitical thinking in which the maritime dimension takes on
new relevance (blue geopolitics).
The Atlantic Ocean provides economic opportunities to which not only the 64 coastal States aspire but also anyone else with the capacity to accede to spaces outside
their national jurisdiction. Convergence with regions with great potential for development in the two great southern continents is one of the challenges that the
Atlantic Strategy faces, and opens the door to shaping a new ‘Atlanticism’ that enables the governance of the basin to be tackled by adapting the instruments.
This poster is based on the following
research projects:
GEOMAR CSO2011-23158
TPEA S12.636626