Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EURARCTIKA (The European Union in the Arctic)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2020-09-01 al 2022-08-31
Interviews
Because of Covid-19: 1) I have not had the possibility of conducting interviews in person in 2020 and 2021. Therefore, Zoom and Teams are the platforms that I have used to interview EC administrators, academics and experts from several countries. I have presented my research in seminars and conference both in the Netherlands and abroad and I have attended several conferences where I had the possibility to exchange ideas, information and opinions with experts of other countries, especially of the Arctic; 2) in 2020 and 2021 I attended conferences online in order to be very well informed on what was currently happening in the region. However, in 2022 I have had the opportunity to attend conferences in person in Norway, Greenland and Iceland. The most important political personalities, academics and experts gather every year in order to discuss the most relevant and timely issues in the Arctic. These conferences, which last several days, are divided into many panels (50 or more) discussing specific topics concerning political, economic and social issues in the region.Also,I have add the opportunity to attend the Just North Conference in Akureyri.It is an EU-funded climate action project exploring the perspectives and values that stakeholders can bring to Arctic economic decision-making. These conferences have been very useful to do valuable networking.
I have spent almost 2 months in Norway as Guest Researcher at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø.Here, I had the opportunity to discuss geopolitical and economic issues concerning the Arctic with professors and academics researching on law and politics in the region.Rasmus Bertelsen, the Professor hosting me at the University, introduced me to the people working in the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Department of Law. This has been very useful for my research as I have had the possibility to have direct access to information about political, economic and social issues in the Arctic.
Furthermore, working at ACELG has been a very valuable experience both from a human point of view as I have been immediately integrated in the Department in spite of the limitations imposed by COVID-19 and because I have learnt a lot. I have enormously deepened and widened my knowledge of EU law especially in relation to the environment, which was crucial for my project. Additionally, participating in the seminars organised by ACELG has given me the possibility to learn about many other aspects of EU law. The support of Prof Christina Eckes has been very valuable as she has read and commented my work. This has helped me to improve my research project. My project has benefited ACELG as I have transfered my knowledge on the geopolitical and economic relevance of the Arctic for the EU to the staff that has read and commented my work. As research at ACELG focuses on the EU, my research has been important to better understand the actions of the EU in the Arctic whose geopolitical and economic relevance is increasing over time.