Securitisation of Climate Change in the EU

Abstract

Presenter: Murni Kemala Dewi, Newcastle University Copenhagen Securitization theory traditionally focuses on the ‘speech act’. This has been critiqued because it ignores the daily administrative and bureaucratic processes that happen in the real world. This paper seeks to fill this gap by using the CLASE Model to measure the Effectiveness of securitization. By combining securitization theory and public policy analysis tools, this paper argues that framing an issue as a security threat (securitization) will not be effective just because the actor declares it as a threat. It only becomes effective when the administrative tools are activated after the framing. To measure effective securitization, this paper develops the CLASE model: Competence (the legal authority of the actor), Legalization (creation of new policies/laws), Allocation (extraordinary budget or budget shift to accommodate the issue), Structure (reorganization of institutional structure), and Externalization (change in foreign policy orientation). This model maps different degrees of effectiveness of securitization, ranging from rhetoric, low, medium, and highly effective securitization based on how many elements are activated during the process. This model provides a critical bridge between the emergency measurement framework and Riskification's long-term planning, offering a new pathway to examine the bureaucratic transformation resulting from securitizing moves. To test this framework, this research will conduct a case study analysis of the European Union’s climate change policy and strategy from 2007 to 2023. The findings indicate that the European Union has implemented a High Effect of Securitization in climate change. The security framing successfully moved beyond the rhetoric phase and triggered administrative transformation. This claim is supported by the administrative footprint, including tight regulatory policy, a dedicated budget for climate change, and structural reform in institutions. The internal reform provides the EU’s externalization perspective, which is reshaping global governance by elevating the EU's position as a leader in global climate governance. This research offers an empirically reliable indicator that long-term securitization occurs through persistent and transformative action by state and international political organizations.