European defence policy post-Lisbon : assessing the impact of the Lisbon Treaty upon ESDP

Abstract

This dissertation consists mainly of an investigation into the provisions on Common European Security and Defence which became part of the European Union's Legal Order upon the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on the 1st December, 2009 At the date of completion of this work, the world is preparing to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Furthermore, global affairs are currently being dominated by radical changes in the traditional power structures across the Islamic world. With the demise of a number of autocratic governments, brought about as a result of an unprecedented mobilisation of pro-democratic supporters taking to the streets in several Arab capitals, I relished the opportunity to explore and analyse the ability of the EU' s newly acquired legal and procedural competences in intervening and resolving global crisis. In conducting this analysis, this study shall accord great importance to the newly established procedural mechanisms in the field of security and defence. This dissertation shall aim to establish whether European defence is now more accessible, capable and coherent since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. Furthermore, this dissertation shall seek to evaluate the ability on the part of the European Union to engage global security issues effectively, playing a decisive role in the resolution and future prevention of global hostilities. In this modern world of political instability and uncertainty, particularly the growing threat of terrorism and the social and political upheaval threatening the very survival of age-old systems of power and government, I felt that a detailed analysis into the future legal and procedural development of European defence policy was both fitting and necessary. Ultimately, this study will aim to assess whether significant improvements have been achieved, giving the European Union's defence structure an upgrade, ideally one which would allow it to operate smoothly and effectively in this new world order.