Security, power or profit? The economic diplomacy of the US and the EU in North Africa

Abstract

The United States and the European Union have an extensive set of economic instruments to help reform the economic institutions of North African countries. These are allegedly motivated by security concerns. In theory a more liberal and integrated economic framework will allow for greater development, cohesion and stability. This is based on a general consensus that economic stagnation is a major cause of extremism in the region. The economic dimension of US diplomacy involves an essentially bilateral push for free trade agreements and several aid instruments. EU policies have a similar thrust but its deeper interdependence with North Africa leads to a more holistic approach. These different emphases relate to the complex dynamics of competition and cooperation evident in US-EU relations more generally. Although an alliance, the US-EU partnership involves competition for structural power in the global political economy. Does the element of competition significantly affect the...