Koen Claessen
Acknowledging these challenges, the EU has begun to recalibrate its engagement, as evidenced by the European External Action Service’s ongoing work on a Black Sea Security Strategy and the region’s inclusion in the 2022 Strategic Compass for Security and Defence.[1] However, as the EU seeks to enhance its engagement in the Black Sea region, it must confront two fundamental dilemmas: the extent to which it seeks to act as a geopolitical player and how to balance geopolitical urgency with the gradual, methodical process of EU integration.
Strategic Promises & Perils
The Black Sea holds significant economic potential for the EU, particularly in the fields of connectivity, energy security, and regional development. As a maritime connection between the EU and the Caucasus, it forms a crucial component of the Middle Corridor—a multimodal trade route linking China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus. With the EU seeking to bypass Russia and Iran in its trade with Asia, and instability threatening maritime routes through the Red Sea, the Black Sea’s role in Euro-Asian trade has gained renewed strategic importance.[2] The Black Sea region is also relevant to the EU’s energy security and green transition, exemplified by the Black Sea Submarine Cable—a planned high-voltage connection within the EU’s Global Gateway initiative that would link Azerbaijan’s renewable energy sector to the EU via Georgia and Romania.[3] Moreover, the Black Sea hosts Romanian offshore gas fields and significant offshore wind potential, both of which could enhance EU energy security, with the latter also supporting its green transition. Furthermore, the Black Sea remains a critical factor in the economies of EU members Romania and Bulgaria as well as candidate states Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.[4] Ukrainian ports, in particular, play a vital role in global food security through their grain exports. These diverse economic interests underscore the Black Sea’s growing importance in for EU.
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