The European Union and Small Island Developing States: The Geo-political/legal, Trade, and Cooperation Dimensions.

The European Union (EU) intends to become an actor in international ocean governance. With this in mind, it is developing specific and more strategic relations with Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Indeed, the existence of the EU’s Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories also implies, beyond history and culture, a geographical proximity between the EU and most SIDS. The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific would reinforce this trend. In order to critically assess these relationships, this article focuses on their geopolitical, trade, and cooperation dimensions, mainly from a geo-legal perspective. The main questions being asked focus on the importance of the SIDS for the EU, and what the EU can offer to assist SIDS in developing their capacities and promote regional cooperation in the challenging current context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]