There is little evidence that a ‘Nordicisation’ of the EU’s Africa policy has taken place

The Nordic countries have traditionally had a distinct role in international affairs focused on peacekeeping and development assistance. Given this role, Gorm Rye Olsen assesses whether the EU’s Africa policy has been subject to a process of ‘Nordicisation’, in which EU actions in Africa have been driven by the Nordic countries. He finds that even in the case of development policy, there is little evidence that EU policies have been shaped predominantly by the Nordic countries. Rather there is evidence that the Nordic countries’ approach in Africa has to some extent been ‘Europeanised’, with a convergence of aims and policies between the national and European levels.