European Union Governance in Central Asia: A Structural Approach

The edited volume attempts to critically approach EU-Central Asian relations, asking whether - when adopting a more sectoral governance approach - the EU’s transformative power vis-à-vis the region is greater than initially argued and if so, under what conditions it flourishes most. It assesses whether, through adopting a sectoral approach to the area of, development, infrastructure, water management, security, climate change, energy, trade, health, education, or any other element defining EU-Central Asian relations, the European Union is able to (co-)shape this geopolitically strategic region. If so, what drives the EU’s ability to do so; if not, what mitigates its (potential) influence? This book contributes to the scholarship on the EU’s external governance both empirically and theoretically.

Marek Neuman is Assistant Professor in EU Foreign Policy and Jean Monnet Chair of European Policy and Governance at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. His research interests are the EU’s foreign policy vis-à-vis Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the role Central and Eastern European countries play in shaping this.

Agha Bayramov is Assistant Professor at the Department of International Relations and International Organization of the University of Groningen. His research interests are energy security, the Caspian Sea region, Karabakh, Eurasia, infrastructure, and climate change. He is a co-founder of The Hague Research Institute for Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.