EU Influence on Cyber Governance in the Indo-Pacific

A journal article I co-authored with Wilhelm Vosse on 'EU Influence on Cyber Governance in the Indo-Pacific: A Normative Power in a Contested Space' has been published in The Hague Journal of Diplomacy. Below is an abstract:

Building on ‘normative power’ and ‘norm diffusion’ theory, this article examines how the European Union has been evolving as a cyber diplomatic actor in the Indo-Pacific. It argues that EU influence in the region extends beyond traditional economic and political engagement, manifesting most clearly in the promotion of cybercrime legislation, cyber capacity-building, data privacy and cybersecurity governance. Through a comparative analysis of EU co-operation with Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, New Zealand and ASEAN, it demonstrates how the EU’s regulatory power and diplomatic initiatives shape the regional digital order. While the EU’s approach is often perceived as technocratic and less politicised than that of other major powers, its effectiveness is mediated by local contexts and the broader geopolitical environment. The findings suggest that, despite structural and cultural obstacles, the EU’s norm diffusion strategy has achieved notable success in embedding European standards and practices in the Indo-Pacific’s cyber governance landscape.

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