The influence of European and American non-state actors on the integration of the transatlantic market after the Cold War - A Romanian perspective

ABSTRACT

The focus of this article is on categories of non-state actors: private and public-private companies in Europe and the US, NGOs, and the academic community. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a revival of importance of non-state actors. This article assesses the growing influence of European and American non-state actors on the integration of the transatlantic market, against the backdrop of changes in the international context. Particular attention is paid to the case of Romania since, in terms of integration, it is located at a key position in relation to the geostrategic interests of both the European Union and the United States. The article is based on an opinion survey of the Romanian population as well as interviews with professionals belonging to Romanian and American non-governmental organizations, employees of Romanian companies collaborating with American corporations, and Romanian scholars having studied at American universities. The article concludes that, in a system marked by global interdependencies, non-state actors are influencing the policy-making processes at both national and international levels, with the business sector being the most influential non-state actor.

KEYWORDS:

• Transatlantic market
• non-state actors
• soft power
• interdependencies
• integration

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data supporting this study’s findings are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.