The Nordic Area and European Integration
| DOI | 10.1177/001083677501000107 |
| Date | 01 March 1975 |
| Published date | 01 March 1975 |
| Author | Martin Saeter |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
The Nordic Area and European Integration*
The Nordic countries in the area of overlap between great-power interests
and regional European projects for cooperation
MARTIN SAETER
The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo
Saeter, M. The Nordic Area and European Integration: The Nordic countries in the
area of overlap between great-power interests and regional European projects for
cooperation. Cooperation and Conflict, X, 1975, 77-89.
In drawing attention to the necessity of an active adaptation to the changing European
environment, the author analyses the positions of the Nordic countries in relation to
superpower interests and European cooperation moves and measures. He concentrates
especially on the likely implications for the Nordic countries from the all-European
perspective, underlining the fundamental difference between such a perspective and
that of continued bloc politics in Europe with respect to Nordic cooperation as well
as to the participation of the Nordic countries in the wider European groupings.
Martin Saeter, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo.
I. THE NORDIC AREA IN FRONT OF
being scaled down, and a new foundation
A NEW PERIOD OF ADAPTATION
for cooperation between all the countries
of Europe is gradually taking shape. The
Right from the time of the Napoleonic
process of development in Europe looks
wars, the foreign policies of the Nordic
like moving in the direction of ever more
countries have been characterized by fea-
binding forms of association between the
tures showing adaptation to, rather than
states, not only within the existing sub-
change of, the constellations of power in
regional groupings, but also between and
Europe.’ The neutrality line, which in
across them. The new foundation now
earlier years dominated Nordic policy,
being laid will in all likelihood determine
the bridge-building policy of the period
the pattern of European politics for a
1945-48, and the so-called policy of
long time ahead
2
’Nordic balance’ which followed, are all
The purpose of this article is to attempt
expressions of a conscious and active pol-
to outline the most important features of
icy of adaptation. The need for such
the new framework to which the Nordic
adaptation has, reasonably enough, been
countries now have to adapt themselves,
most in evidence during the major crisis
in order to be able, on this basis, to draw
situations in European politics.
conclusions with respect to the alternative
At the present time European politics
possibilities of choice with which the
is in a new period of upheaval which
demands
process of change confronts these countries.
on the part of the Nordic coun-
What are the factors that determine their
tries an active adaptation to the changing
freedom of action in the foreign policy
international environment. The upheaval
field? What consequences can the changes
is not this time the result of conflict and
be expected to have on the security policy
war, but of peaceful processes of change.
plane? What problems do the different
The continent is in the process of liberating
policies of the Nordic countries in associa-
itself from the confrontation politics of
tion with the EEC raise in this connection?
the Cold War. The East/West division is
What implications does the all-European
*
perspective have in contrast to the bloc
Translated from Norwegian by R. E.
Gooderham, M.Sc.
policy as far as the possibilities for wider
78
Nordic cooperation are concerned? In all,
the ’40’s, individual participation in the
what perspectives open themselves for the
OEEC and Norwegian and Danish mem-
European policy of the Nordic countries
bership of NATO ;7 instead of the planned
in the future?
Nordic organization for economic coopera-
tion which was under investigation in the
mid-50’s, there was membership in EFTA;
II. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE
association with the EEC on the basis of
POST-WAR POLICY OF THE NORDIC
COUNTRIES
separate agreements for each individual
Nordic country was given priority over
The modified form of great-power con-
the NORDOK plan in 1970, to name just
frontation which is expressed through the
some examples. Most of the explanation
concept of ’Nordic balance’ has provided
for this state of affairs is provided by
the framework for the security policy of
assessments
made on security policy
the Nordic countries in the period follow-
grounds in the individual Nordic countries.
ing 1949.3 Within this framework, the five
On the other hand, it is also character-
nations have been able to develop a
istic of the policy of the Nordic countries
distinctive Nordic system of cooperation
that every time stronger cooperation ties
characterized by a high degree of inte-
have been created between particular
gration in a number of areas.4 They have
Nordic countries and a larger Western
likewise been able to participate together
organization, a strengthening of internal
in the major West European grouping
Nordic cooperation has usually followed,
EFTA, Finland admittedly on the basis
almost as a precautionary measure to
of a special association agreement.5 A
ensure
against common Nordic values
clear precondition for one and all has
being harmed as a consequence of asso-
been throughout that neither Nordic co-
ciation with wider Western groupings.
operation in itself nor the participation
The creation of the Nordic Council at the
of the Nordic countries in other systems
beginning of the 1950’s served such a
of cooperation should disturb the existing
function. The same can be said of the
security policy balance in the area. This
comprehensive Nordic Treaty of Coopera-
has, in practice, expressed itself particular-
tion of 1962 which followed Norway’s and
ly as a marked limitation on Finland’s
Denmark’s applications for membership
opportunities to participate in forms of
of the EEC. There has also been a sig-
political cooperation of a more binding
nificant expansion at the Nordic level
nature, since it was assumed that this
since the agreement with the EEC in 1972.
would draw Finland too strongly in a
In spite of the limitations which the
westward direction.6
East/West confrontation has imposed on
A characteristic feature of the Nordic
Nordic cooperation, and of the Nordic
picture has been that when the choice has
countries’ different orders of priority in
lain between establishment of independent
questions relating to regional economic
Nordic organizations for cooperation on
organization in Europe, it can neverthe-
the one hand, and individual participation
less be said that cooperation between all
in wider Western projects for cooperation
the Nordic countries on a Nordic plane
on the other, then the latter procedure has
has acquired a value of its own, on which
shown itself to have the greatest force.
great weight has been placed on preserv-
This is due particularly to the attitudes
ing and developing further.8 This has been
of Norway and Denmark. Instead of a
expressed inter alia in the way that, in
Scandinavian customs union (possibly an
periods when the wider European projects
economic union) and a Scandinavian de-
for economic cooperation have stagnated,
fence alliance, there was, at the end of
advances on the Nordic plane have been
79
sought. It
bloc
was after plans for a ’European
policy would be a completely dif-
army’ fell through in 1954 that it was
ferent perspective from that which forms
decided at the Harpsund meeting to speed
the basis for the all-European efforts.
Furthermore, an all-European
up the tempo in the work toward a Nordic
system
economic union, and it was after the West
created with the approval and participa-
European endeavours at unification had
tion of the USA and the Soviet Union -
the line at
once more come to a dead halt at the end
present dominant - would be
of 1967 that the NORDEK initiative
something quite different from a system
obtained in conflict with the interests of
came about.
There are, on this basis, grounds for
one or both of the super-powers, as de
believing that
Gaulle’s line
a carrying-on of this Nordic
was. These differences could,
cooperation will continue to stand as an
not least, have revealed themselves on the
important goal in the policies of all the
Nordic plane.
Nordic countries, and, furthermore, that
The central questions with respect to
the prospects for advancement in this area
the West European plane have been
will improve
whether the EEC would be
as
a consequence of the
enlarged to
scaling down of the East/West confronta-
also include Great Britain, and whether
tion in Europe, but that the actual forms
the Community would widen its functions
of Nordic cooperation will be dependent
to include foreign and security policy as
well, i.e. become an ’autonomous’ actor
upon the attachment to the larger regional
in international
organs of cooperation in Europe, perhaps
politics. An EEC with
first and foremost the EEC.
Great Britain as a member represents
something quite different to the Nordic
countries from an EEC without British
III. CI-IANGES IN THE
membership. Development of the EEC
INTERNATIONAL SITUATION
into an autonomous political actor has
Important changes have occurred in the
quite different implications for NATO
very recent past, both where the East/West
and Western defence policy as a whole -
relationship and West European integra-
and therefore for the Nordic area as well
tion policy are concerned, which confront
than it would if the EEC
-
were to continue
the Nordic countries with...
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