Geopolitics and the External Bordering of the European Union

For some time, scholars have been observing a trend towards the “geopoliticization” (Meunier and Nicolaidis) of European integration and policies. So far, the focus has been on EU economic policies and relations with China and the US. This paper aims at a broader, systematic analysis of the effects of geopolitical conditions and changes on the external border policies of the EU. For this purpose, the paper leverages a novel dataset on EU boundary configurations that measures the closure and control of EU boundaries over time, across third countries and multiple functional domains. The paper explores how the external boundaries of the EU have changed in response to increasing geopolitical rivalry. At a systemic level, the paper examines whether geopoliticization has led to increasing external rebordering, i.e. closure and EU-level control of the EU’s external boundaries. At a dyadic level, it investigates whether closure and control respond to shifting alliance patterns, systemic rivalries, and security threats. Finally, it tests to what extent external bordering varies by functional domains and issues.