The history and current state of the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy development
The history and current state of the European Union’s Common Security and
Defence Policy development
The European Union is indeed a unique entity, both from the internal and external perspectives. And if from the internal side it’s mostly about the people of the Union, their interests and rights, then from the external it’s mainly the compromise between the member states about any action, decision, or even declaration. Having so little competence within the external dimension the EU institutions show surprisingly impressive achievements, especially with its’ neighbourhood policy and humanitarian and environmental actions. The Union has expropriated international values and rights and declared them the ground for the construction of the Union itself, and for the approach for any actions outside of the EU. That’s how the
European Union has become the world’s normative power which is a powerful position in the changing circumstances leading to the century of technologies, international organizations and unions. However it’s not so definite, since we are still dealing with the Westphalian states system and a new wave of national ideas domination. In this context the EU is experiencing difficult times when the states just don’t take it serious enough and prefer dealing with the member states, sometimes regardless the fact that the negotiating issue is under the competence of the institutions. This problem could be opposed by the full-fledged common foreign policy and common defence policy as part of the CFSP of the Union, which in my opinion is a long shot, but to which the Union is slowly approaching.
Common Security and Defence Policy is part of Common Foreign and Security Policy, the former second intergovernmental pillar of the European Union structure. With the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty there are no more pillars distinctions anymore, however de facto the pillars structure still takes place, especially in the spheres most sensitive
Defence Policy development
The European Union is indeed a unique entity, both from the internal and external perspectives. And if from the internal side it’s mostly about the people of the Union, their interests and rights, then from the external it’s mainly the compromise between the member states about any action, decision, or even declaration. Having so little competence within the external dimension the EU institutions show surprisingly impressive achievements, especially with its’ neighbourhood policy and humanitarian and environmental actions. The Union has expropriated international values and rights and declared them the ground for the construction of the Union itself, and for the approach for any actions outside of the EU. That’s how the
European Union has become the world’s normative power which is a powerful position in the changing circumstances leading to the century of technologies, international organizations and unions. However it’s not so definite, since we are still dealing with the Westphalian states system and a new wave of national ideas domination. In this context the EU is experiencing difficult times when the states just don’t take it serious enough and prefer dealing with the member states, sometimes regardless the fact that the negotiating issue is under the competence of the institutions. This problem could be opposed by the full-fledged common foreign policy and common defence policy as part of the CFSP of the Union, which in my opinion is a long shot, but to which the Union is slowly approaching.
Common Security and Defence Policy is part of Common Foreign and Security Policy, the former second intergovernmental pillar of the European Union structure. With the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty there are no more pillars distinctions anymore, however de facto the pillars structure still takes place, especially in the spheres most sensitive
Bibliography: Peter van Ham. “The Power of War: Why Europe Needs It”. Hague, 2008: 28, http://www.clingendael.org/publications/2008/20081203_cdsp_power_war.pdf Functioning of the European Union, 2007, http://register.consilium.europa.eu/doc/srv?l=EN&t=PDF&gc=true&sc=false&f=ST%20 5. European Defence Community Treaty. Unofficial translation, 1952, http://aei.pitt.edu/5201/1/5201.pdf 6. Final Communiqué of the Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council, 1996, http://www.nato.int/docu/comm/1996/9606-brl/9606-brl.htm 10. Joint Declaration on European Defence, 1998, http://www.atlanticcommunity.org/SaintMalo%20Declaration%20Text.html 11 13. Treaty of Amsterdam, 1997, http://www.ena.lu/treaty_amsterdam-2-16483 14 15. Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, 2004, www.consilium.europa.eu/igcpdf/en/04/cg00/cg00087-re02.en04.pdf 16. Treaty of Economic, Social and Cultural Collaboration and Collective Self-Defence, 1948 http://www.ena.lu/?lang=2&doc=14136 17. Treaty of Economic, Social and Cultural Collaboration and Collective Self-Defence — Modified and completed version, 1954, 1. Grant, Charles. “Is the EU doomed to fail as a power?” London, 2009, http://www.cer.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/attachments/pdf/2011/essay_9051273.pdf 2. Ham, Peter van. “The Power of War: Why Europe Needs It”. Hague, 2008, http://www.clingendael.org/publications/2008/20081203_cdsp_power_war.pdf International Affairs 84: I (2008): 29–44, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2346.2008.00687.x 4 European Security, 13(3), 2004: 187-213. 8. Waterfield, Bruno. “Blueprint for EU army to be agreed”. The Telegraph (18 Feb 2009), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/4689736/Blueprint-for-EU-armyto-be-agreed.html 9. Whitman, Richard. “The Rise of the European External Action Service: Putting the Strategy Into EU Diplomacy?” UK, 2011,