High stakes and poor implementation? Russia’s Arctic policy in 2008–2017
DOI: 10.34130/2070-4992-2020-2-27-35
УДК 323.2, 327, 574
Кадочников А. Н. – к.ф.-м.н., директор центра экологической политики, Ленинградский государственный университет имени А. С. Пушкина, г. Санкт-Петербург, Россия, e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.
Симонов A. C. – аспирант, Университет Хельсинки, г. Хельсинки, Финляндия, e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.
This paper aims to analyse Russia’s Arctic policy in 2008–2017. We scrutinise its policy implementation in four policy fields – mining operations, environmental, military and transport policy (the Northern Sea Route). The research objective is to find out which policy fields did the Russian Government implement sufficiently and which ones – poorly in Russia’s Arctic policy in 2008–2017? We use the document analysis as a research method. We find that overall policy implementation in the Arctic was insufficient. The degree of Russia’s Arctic policy implementation depends on the policy field. While Russia successfully achieved the goals of military security in the Arctic, mining operations in the High North were implemented poorly. The Russian Government carried out environmental protection and the development of the NSR moderately with some programs and projects being reduced or even postponed in 2008–2017. This study contributes to policy studies and provides an independent assessment for policy-makers and civil society actors. The analysis of government documents as a method pose the limitation in the sense that we use the data only from open sources as well as there is a risk of misinterpretation during the data collection stage. Future research can investigate which theory explains the best policy implementation in the Russian Arctic. Moreover, methodologically scholarship can apply computational text analysis methods to work with the massive amount of textual data.
Keywords: Arctic, Russia, policy implementation, policy analysis, arctic policy, public policy
References
1. Bertelsen R. G., & Gallucci V., 2016. The return of China, post-Cold War Russia, and the Arctic: Changes on land and at sea. Marine Policy, Volume 72, October 2016, pp: 240–245.
2. Liu N., 2017. China’s emerging Arctic policy: What are the implications for Arctic governance? Jindal Global Law Review, 8(1), 55–68.
3. Ronson A., 2011. Political Climate Change: The Evolving Role of the Arctic Council. Northern Review, (33), pp: 95–111. 4. Røseth T., 2014. Russia’s China Policy in the Arctic. Strategic Analysis, 38:6, pp: 841–859.
5. Coates K. S. & Carin H. (eds.), 2019. The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics. Switzerland: Springer Nature, 569 pp. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20557-7_2 (Accessed 16.06.2020).
6. Gritsenko D. & Tynkkynen V-P., 2018. Telling domestic and international policy stories: the case of Russian Arctic policy. Russia’s far north: the contested energy frontier. Abingdon: Routledge – Taylor & Francis Group, pp: 191-205.
7. Markin V. V. & Silin A. N., 2017. Human and social potential of neo-industrial development of the Arctic: sociological analysis, modeling, and regulation. Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast, 2017, vol. 10, no. 6, pp: 75–88.
8. Zhiltsov S. S. & Zonn I. S. Politika Rossii v Arktike: sovremennyi etap [Russia’s policy in the Arctic continent: contemporary challenges]. Vestnik RUDN, politologia [Bulletin RUDN, political science], 2015, no. 2, pp. 7–22. (In Russian).
9. Website of the Arctic Council. Available at: http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/about-us (Accessed 06.04.2020).
10. Wegge N., 2011. The political order in the Arctic: power structures, regimes and influence. Polar Record, 47 (241), pp: 165–176.
11. Bekkers V., Fenger M. & Scholten P., 2017. Policy dynamics: learning, change and innovation. The UK. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
12. Rosstat. Estimation of the number of the permanent population on the territory of Russian Federation by 1 January (Arctic zone). 2017. Available at: http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/region_stat/calendar2-2016.htm (Accessed 09.03.2020).
13. Putin V. V. President of Russia, 2017, March 30. The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue international forum. Vladimir Putin is taking part in the fourth international forum The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue. Available at: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/54149 (Accessed 08.03.2020).
14. Russian Government. Osnovy gosudarstvennoj politiki Rossijskoj Federacii v Arktike na period do 2020 goda I dal’nejshuju perspectivu [The principles of Russia’s Federation public policy in the Arctic until 2020 and beyond]. 2008. Available at: http://static.government.ru/media/files/A4qP6brLNJ175I40U0K46x4SsKRHGfUO.pdf (Accessed 20.05.2020). (In Russian).
15. Russian Government. Strategija razvitija Arkticheskoj zony Rossijskoj Federacii i obespechenie nacional’noj bezopasnosti na period do 2020 goda [Strategy of the development of the Arctic zone of Russian Federation and the provision of national security until 2020]. 2013. Available at: http://static.government.ru/media/files/2RpSA3sctElhAGn4RN9 dHrtzk0A3wZm8.pdf (Accessed 09.03.2020). (In Russian).
16. Website of President of Russia. Available at: http://kremlin.ru/ (Accessed 05.06.2020). (In Russian).
17. Putin V. V. Poslanie Prezidenta Federal'nomu Sobraniju [Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly]. 2018. Available at: http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/56957 (Accessed 21.05.2020). (In Russian).
18. Shoygu S. Tezisy doklada Ministra oborony Rossijskoj Federacii generala armii S.K. Shoygu na rasshirennom zasedanii Kollegii Minoborony Rossii [The report of Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation S.K. Shoygu at the meeting of the Board of Ministry of Defence of Russia]. Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. 2017. Available at: http://mil.ru/files/files/itogi2017/Tezisu_doklada.pdf (Accessed 22.05.2020). (In Russian).
19. Hønneland G., 2017. Arctic Euphoria and International High North Politics. Singapore: Springer Nature. Available at: https://link-springer-com.eur.idm.oclc.org/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-981-10-6032-8.pdf (Accessed 12.05.2020).
20. Website of Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Available at: http://mil.ru/index.htm (Accessed 15.04.2020). (In Russian).
21. Website of Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. Available at: https://mintrans.ru/ (Accessed 10.05.2020). (In Russian). 22. Website of Public Commission on Arctic Development. Available at: https://Arctic.gov.ru (Accessed 31.05.2020). (In Russian). 23. Website of the Russian Government. Available at: http://government.ru/ (Accessed 14.06.2020). (In Russian).
24. Russian Government. Postanovlenie ot 21 aprelja 2014 g. № 366 Ob utverzdenii gosudarstvennoj programmy Rossijskoj Federacii ‘Socialʹno-ekonomiceskoe razvitie Arkticeskoj zony Rossijskoj Federacii na period do 2020 goda’ [The decision from 21 April 2014 № 366 on approving a public program ‘Social-economic development of the Arctic zone of Russian Federation’]. 2014. Available at http://static.government.ru/media/files/GGu3GTtv8bvV8gZxSEAS1R7XmzloK6ar.pdf (Accessed 09.03.2020). (In Russian).
25. Russian Government. O novoj redakcii gosudarstvennoj programmy ‘Socialʹno-ekonomiceskoe razvitie Arkticeskoj zony Rossijskoj Federacii’ [New edition of public program ‘Social and economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation’]. 2017. Available at: http://government.ru/docs/29164 (Accessed 07.05.2020). (In Russian).
26. Kellstedt P. M. & Whitten G. D., 2013. Research Design. In The fundamentals of political science research. Cambridge University Press, pp: 69–91.
27. Lehnert M., Miller B. & Wonka A., 2007. Increasing the Relevance of Research Questions: Considerations on Theoretical and Social Relevance in Political Science. Gschwend T. & Schimmelfennig F. (Ed.). Research Design in Political Science: How to Practice What They Preach. Palgrave Macmillan, pp.: 21–33.
28. Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, n.d. Gosudarstvennaja programma Rossijskoj Federacii ‘Socialʹnoekonomiceskoe razvitie Arkticeskoj zony Rossijskoj Federacii na period do 2020 goda’ [Public program ‘Social and economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation up to 2020’]. Available at: audit.gov.ru/upload/iblock/ 3e8/3e8117f0aff91df6f05586d904be4470.pdf (Accessed 10.05.2020). (In Russian).
29. World Bank. Russian Federation. World Bank Open Data. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/country/russianfederation (Accessed 15.06.2020).
30. Gazprom. Shtokmanovskoye field. Available at: http://www.gazprom.com/about/production/projects/deposits/shp (Accessed 12.05.2020).
31. Gazpromneft. The Prirazlomnoye Project. Available at: http://www.gazprom-neft.com/company/business/ exploration-and-production/new-projects/prirazlomnoe (Accessed 05.05.2020).
32. Yamal LNG. Available at: http://yamallng.ru/en (Accessed 12.05.2020).
33. Voronkov L. Arkticeskij aspekt antirossijskih sankcij [An Arctic aspect of anti-Russian sanctions]. Rossija v Globalʹnoj Politike [Russia in Global Affairs], 2016, no. 5. (In Russian).
34. Adams K., Hill K., Kruks E. & Miln M. Neftjanye kompanii zamorazivajut proekty v Arktike [Oil companies stalled projects in the Arctic]. Vedomosti. 2015. Available at: https://www.vedomosti.ru/business/articles/2015/02/06/neftyaniekompanii-zamorazhivayut-proekti-v-arktike (Accessed 17.05.2020). (In Russian).
35. Average annual Brent crude oil price from 1976 to 2018 (in U.S. dollars per barrel). Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/262860/uk-brent-crude-oil-price-changes-since-1976 (Accessed 21.05.2020).
36. Topalov A. & Tkachenko K. ‘Shtokman’ rassosalsja [‘Shtokman’ disappeared]. Gazeta.ru. 2012. Available at: https://www.gazeta.ru/business/2012/08/29/4742921 (Accessed 12.05.2020). (In Russian).
37. Ampilov J. P. Problemy i perspektivy osvoenija rossijskogo selʹfa v uslovijah sankcij i padenija cen na neftʹ [Issues and the potential of the development of Russian Arctic shelf projects in the context of sanctions and decline of oil prices]. Vesti gazovoj nauki [Gas science news], 2015, no. 2 (22), pp. 5–14. (In Russian).
38. Zolotukhin A. B. Neft i kholod [Oil and coldness]. Nauka v mire [Science in the world], 2014, no. 3 (1), pp.: 8–11. (In Russian).
39. Pettersen T., 2015. More Russian military forces to the Arctic. BarentsObserver. Available at: http://barentsobserver.com/en/security/2015/08/more-russian-military-forces-Arctic-31-08 (Accessed 18.05.2020).
40. Staalesen A., 2016. New Arctic military base is declared ready for operation. The Independent Barents Observer. Available at: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2016/12/new-Arctic-military-base-declared-ready-operation (Accessed 18.05.2020).
41. Dergachev V. Obshhie rashody na oboronu v bjudzhete prevysili traty na obrazovanie [Defence spending has become more than spending on education]. RBK. 2016. Available at: https://www.rbc.ru/politics/12/12/2016/584996939 a79476ef58c6cb3 (Accessed 18.05.2020). (In Russian).
42. Website of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation. Available at: https://www.mnr.gov.ru/ (Accessed 09.04.2020). (In Russian).
43. Burmatov V. Itogi Goda jekologii: ‘Ostanovit'sja uzhe ne poluchitsja’ [Results of Year of Ecology: ‘Can’t stop’]. Izvestija. 2017. Available at: https://iz.ru/688601/valeriia-nodelman/itogi-goda-ekologii-ostanovitsia-uzhe-ne-poluchitsia (Accessed 19.05.2020). (In Russian).
44. Kadochnikov A. N., Sagitov R. A. & Tomilin I. A. Gosudarstvennaja jekologicheskaja politika v Arktike: aspekty mezhdisciplinarnogo i mezhdunarodnogo sotrudnichestva [Environmental policy in the Arctic: multidisciplinary and international cooperation]. Politicheskaja jekspertiza: POLITEKS [Political Expertise: POLITEKS], 2015, 11 no. 4, pp. 52–65. (In Russian).
45. Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Razvitie infrastruktury Severnogo morskogo puti kak jelementa edinoj Arkticheskoj transportnoj sistemy Rossii [Development of infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route as an element of Russia’s unified Arctic transport system]. 2016. Available at: http://council.gov.ru/media/files/ OSyfvhj7jATLDcjHeXRgdwxDMD1617jT.pdf (Accessed 21.05.2020). (In Russian).
For citation: Kadochnikov A. N., Simonov A. S. High stakes and poor implementation? Russia’s Arctic policy in 2008–2017 // Corporate Governance and Innovative Economic Development of the North: Bulletin of Research Center of Corporate Law, Management and Venture Investment of Syktyvkar State University. 2020. No. 2. P. 27–35. DOI: 10.34130/2070-4992-2020-2-27-35.