Perspectives from Belgium (Brussels)

 Atlantic Perspectives Interview Report, nº. 11

Is a new pan-Atlantic system of relations emerging in the Atlantic space beyond the traditional North Atlantic alliance and the North-South dependency? Although there was no unanimous opinion, many interviewees from various sectors in Brussels appeared to be sceptical about this potential scenario (there was a strong EU-US transatlantic space but weak relations with the South), while others claimed that the Atlantic Basin could be more interconnected, mainly in economic terms. GMF and FRIDE, with their respective offices used their networks to interview the relevant actors based on their professional and academic expertise. The main concerns regarding the current state and future of the Atlantic region included, amongst others: the future of the TTIP trade negotiation between the US and the EU, the lack of a cohesive “Atlantic” security approach, the struggle for a united and common energy and climate and environmental policy within the Atlantic space.