Term Paper on "European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy"

Term Paper 13 pages (3705 words) Sources: 8

[EXCERPT] . . . .

European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy and later European Security and Defence Policy since the Maastricht Treaty

Today, Europe is being transformed in some profound ways as the European Union (EU) continues to consolidate its European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pursues engagement with the countries of Eastern Europe in the framework of the Membership Action Plan. Indeed, the very basis of European security is being fundamentally modified in the process. As these changes are taking place, new institutional synergies between nations and multinational organizations are being created and new dynamics in regional security are becoming increasingly evident (Dunn & Zaborowski, 2003). To help identify how these processes are affecting the respective members of the EU and NATO, this paper provides a critical analysis of the recent scholarly literature to examine the development of the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy and later European Security and Defence Policy since the Maastricht Treaty to determine how successful these institutional developments have been in addressing current security challenges. A summary of the research and salient findings are provided in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Background and Overview great deal of change has taken place in Europe over the last two decades that have affected its current organization and defence posture. For example, in their book, Europe's New Security Challenges, Gartner, Hyde-Price and Reiter (2001) report that, "One of the central controversies among academics and policymakers is the nature and significance of security in the post-Cold War world. For much of the Cold War the concept of security was largely defined in military terms. Thus the main focus of investigation for academics and policymakers tended to be the military capabilities required by states to address perceived outside threats" (p. 1). In recent years, though, the concept of security has been expanded to include the environment, politics, economics, society, as well as aspects of the military (Gartner et al., 2001). While these changes did not take place overnight, there are some significant milestones involved that serve to illustrate the general trends involved. For example, according to Smith and Timmons (2001), "In the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam, there was little substantive progress in developing the defence dimension of the EU and, more specifically, drawing the Western European Union (WEU) closer to the Union" (p. 99).

Because there are so many diverse interests involved among the various members of the EU, it is not surprising that there has been some disagreement among its members concerning the best approach to achieving their mutual goals. In this regard, Smith and Timmons (2001) report that, "Although in the lead up to the intergovernmental conference which produced the draft Treaty of Amsterdam, nine WEU members favoured its eventual integration into the EU, the tenth, the UK, was opposed. The result was that the WEU retained its autonomy and the European Council was denied the right to instruct the organization" (p. 99). At any rate, these early negotiations represented some important indications that there was progress being made at reaching a consensus, including the following:

The treaty referred to the objective of 'fostering closer relations' between the two organisations and joint presidencies were called for when a WEU member was in line for the presidency of the Union;

The WEU's 'Petersberg Tasks,' of humanitarian operations, peacekeeping and the employment of combat forces in crisis management, were formally integrated into the EU's Second Pillar.

The WEU was to be fully involved in the establishment of an EU Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit, which was to work on plans on behalf of the CFSP.

Indeed, Hill (2000) suggests that the Treaty of Amsterdam was far from a disappointment in terms of how it helped establish the mechanisms whereby the Europeanization process could proceed, particularly as it applied to defense issues. While at first blush, the Treaty's foreign policy provisions did not appear to represent substantive progress, they did in fact go beyond what many observers expected. For example, Title V of the Treaty of European Union (TEU), agreed at Maastricht in December 1991 and signed in February 1992, remains in effect but many of the 'J' articles it contained have subsequently been amended, with the most important changes including the following:

An enlarged space for majority voting, once a 'common strategy' has been agreed and/or joint actions and common positions agreed (J.13); the onus is now on the states to stop a qualified majority voting on routine foreign policy matters, representing a major shift from the immovable double-lock imposed by Maastricht in its own J.3.

The possibility of 'constructive abstention', to allow one or more Member States to opt out of a common position without preventing the whole policy going ahead (J.13).

The incorporation of the 'Petersberg tasks' (qv, Section 3) into the Treaty and thereby further specifying the link between the WEU and CFSP (J.7.2).

The Secretary-General of the Council adds to his responsibilities the new function of 'High Representative' for the CFSP, with the aim of working towards a new working troika, consisting of the Presidency foreign minister, the High Representative, and a senior representative of the Commission (J.8).

Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit is set up under the High Representative, with personnel drawn from EU institutions, the Member States and the WEU.

The financing of CFSP is clarified, with the EC budget becoming the default setting, apart from military and defence operations and where the Council decides unanimously otherwise; as with QMV, the onus is reversed, to the disadvantage of intergovernmentalism.

The Presidency is given the power to negotiate international agreements in pursuit of the CFSP, 'assisted by the Commission as appropriate' (J.14); the agreements will be concluded unanimously by the Council and the EU still does not have 'legal personality' (Hill, 2000, p. 169).

Furthermore, subsequent events reflected an increased willingness on the part of many of the members of the EU to recognize the importance of providing a viable framework for their mutual defense that would take into account their important and sometimes mutually exclusive interests. In this regard, Smith and Timmons (2001) report that, "The disappointing outcome of the Amsterdam Treaty was subsequently overtaken by a succession of important developments on the European defence scene" (p. 99). For example, "At the Cologne and Helsinki European Councils, of June and December 1999, respectively, it was agreed that the WEU would be integrated into the EU and that for an interim period Javier Solana (a former Secretary-General of NATO) would serve as both the High Representative of the CFSP and as the Secretary-General of the WEU. The aim would be for the EU to enjoy 'the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces" (Presidency Conclusions, Cologne, 4-5 June 1999, cited in Smith & Timmons, 2001 at p. 100).

There was also provision made for a framework in which decisions could be reached concerning the commitment of military forces; to this end, this responsibility would be placed within the EU's Ministerial Council in order that the CFSP would enjoy access to the full range of instruments, including military force (Smith & Timmons, 20010. Likewise, the Helsinki communique clearly articulated the EU's intention to strengthen its Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP) by creating a Rapid Reaction Force of corps size that was to be made available for deployment by 2003. According to these authors, "This force will be capable of being dispatched within sixty days and will be sustainable for a year. It is also intended that appropriate civilian resources for crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction will support the EU's military formation" (Smith & Timmons, 2001, p. 100).

During the last decade of the 20th century, a number of other important developments took place within the emerging European Union as well as NATO that continue to play out today. For example, in February 1992 at Maastricht, the EU began to forge the framework for its future development, with a concomitant of that process being renewed discussions concerning the possibilities of European integration, including the creation of the ability to conduct foreign policy and, at some point, include within it a defense dimension unique to the EU (Hunter, 2002). Unfortunately, as Hill (2000) points out, "The track record, with the difficult problems of Iraq, Bosnia, Algeria and the Middle East, seemed to many disastrous, although reactions then differed as to whether success was inherently impossible or dependent on extending integration to the sphere of foreign policy" (p. 169). Nevertheless, the wheels had been set in motion and the Treaty on European Union, Maastricht, February 7, 1992, Title 1: Common Provisions, Article B, stipulates that, "The Union shall set itself the following objectives:... -- to assert its identity on the international scene, in particular through the implementation of a common foreign and security policy including the eventual framing of a common defence policy, which might in time lead to a common defence" (cited in Hunter, 2002 at p. 3).

According to Hunter, in the case… READ MORE

How to Reference "European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

European Union Enlargement to Include Either Croatia Term Paper

European Union enlargement to include either Croatia or the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (select one)

The enlargement of the European Union is viewed as a way of promoting the… read more

Term Paper 7 pages (2187 words) Sources: 6 Topic: Government / Politics

---

European Security and Defence Identity Franco- British Term Paper

European Security and Defence Identity

Franco- British summit was held in St. Malo in December 1998, the objective of the gathering was to unblock an effective 50-year UK veto on… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1398 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA Topic: Military / Army / Navy / Marines

---

NATO and the European Union the Cold Term Paper

NATO and the European Union

The Cold War period represented an important time in the history of the European continent and in the development of the concept of security and… read more

Term Paper 16 pages (5701 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Government / Politics

---

European Union Mccormick, John. Book Review

European Union

McCormick, John. The European Union: Politics and Policies. Westview Press; Fourth Edition (December 24, 2007)

Unarguably, the European Union is the most advanced form of political and economical… read more

Book Review 5 pages (1369 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Government / Politics

---

European Parliament vs. Court of Justice Essay

European Parliament and the European Court of Justice

The European Parliament (EP) and the Council of the European Union are the legislative branches of the European Union. The EP is… read more

Essay 10 pages (3708 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Government / Politics

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>