The influence of the European Parliament on common foreign and security policy and European Union missions in Libya

Abstract

The European Parliament’s power has been a dependable indicator for the improvement of European integration. Despite its limited formal role in foreign policy decision-making, the European Parliament has, since its establishment, supported the concept of the CFSP and has tried to expand its purpose. The CFSP is the EU’s coordinator and internationally implemented foreign policy and was specifically intended to tackle mainly the defence and security decisions and policies. This dissertation covers the development of the CFSP throughout the treaties, and it outlines the role of the European Parliament within the CFSP. This research will tackle the question “To what extent does the European Parliament exercise influence on the CFSP? Assessing the involvement of the Parliament in the EU mission in the Libyan crisis since 2011” In order to focus more precisely on answering this question and to help the reader understand better how the European Parliament can approve or disapprove matters on foreign policy, the Libyan crisis which began in 2011 and is still going on, will be used as a case study. This research will highlight the European Parliament’s power in the CFSP by analysing the implementation of the CFSP discussed in the European Parliament resolution. This research will also analyse the situation of Libya by evaluating the European Parliament’s resolutions and the European Council Declarations by the High Representative.