International cooperation and environmental security : the worldview of Joseph Borg

Abstract

This article focuses on the worldview of Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Joseph Borg, former Maltese diplomat and legal practitioner whose career includes a brief incursion into academia and the holding of strategic positions in the Maltese government. His main challenge in the Barroso Commission is to develop a comprehensive European strategy for seas and oceans, integrating maritime-related policy-areas such as fisheries, environmental protection, transport and employment, among others. For Borg, the international system is marked by interdependent actors who constantly face collective action problems. The language he adopts stresses the need for cooperation and partnership—key terms in his discourse—along multiple political levels. Bringing together various stakeholders such as industries and local communities is essential to enhance democratic governance, and to allow Europe to exercise leadership based on multilateralism and respect for institutions. Also worth mentioning are the repeated references to the Central Mediterranean and the North Sea— regarded as strategically important partners. A priori there are no ‘enemies’, but deleterious practices that threaten the marine environment and its related activities. Drawing on his speeches, as well as his hearing before the European Parliament (EP), the present article lays down a few considerations on the role of the EU as a global actor regarding an issue that brings together economic, environmental and social aspects displayed along multi-level polity systems. Data stems mainly from the literature, FAO and OCDE’s statistical databases, and Commission’s archives accessible through the Gateway to the European Union.