The European Union common foreign and security policy strengthening effectiveness within a new geopolitical framework

Abstract

The development of a Common Foreign and Security Policy has always been characterised by a strong and animated debate. On one side there are those in favour of maintaining an intergovernmental formula, which backs the notion of Member States' sovereignty on foreign policy. On the other side of the fence there are those who call for a federalist reform which guarantees a stronger Europe capable of assuming more responsibilities and actions in the international affairs. The question which this thesis will tackle is whether the CFSP has been effective in the context of the new gee-political framework, and whether a federalist approach could work better. According to the review of literature provided In Chapter 2, effectiveness can be measured by different means, including presence, ability to intervene by diplomatic and military means, ability to take rapid decisions, and ability to achieve convergence in the EU member states. The historical background provided in Chapter 3 kicks off from the European Union's attempts to coordinate the foreign policies of member states in the 1950s. The idea of institutionalised foreign policy cooperation gained momentum in the late 1960s, in parallel with the final stages of the Common Market project and the prospect of the first enlargement of the EU. The institutional structure of the European Political Cooperation reflected the fact that governments would dominate and define any coordination and that it would be separate from EC policies and procedures. Two important reports, the Copenhagen Report and the London Report, 1973 and 1981 respectively, paved the way for further development and for the inclusion of some norms and practices in the Single European Act. In 1992 the CFSP was included in the Maastricht Treaty of the European Union. A number of important changes were introduced in the Amsterdam Treaty which came into force in 1999, and thereafter. The general rule remains that CFSP decisions always require a unanimous vote in their favour. l he Treaty of Amsterdam also introduced the new figure of High Representative for the CFSP. Following Amsterdam, In 2001, the Nice Treaty's contributions dealt primarily with 'Enhanced cooperation'. The current powers of EU institutions are shared among the European Council and in little part by the Commission. They have remained largely unchanged since 2001. The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 against USA can be considered as the turning point of World's political relations. From then onwards a completely new geopolitical frameworks has emerged, with the fight against terrorism set as priority in national and international political agendas. The war in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq represent two crucial events. These two case studies are described in depth in Chapter 4. The analysis of the presence and the response of the CFSP in the two instances highlighted the characteristics of the actual institutional model applied to Community's external policy. In Chapter 5, the effectiveness of the CFSP is put to the test by assessing its performance in relation to a set of criteria. The overall results showed that the divisions among Member states' aims and visions stopped CFSP from being effective and from having a presence in the international political scene. The final chapter poses the question whether a federalist approach would perform better. It explores measures that would need to be taken for improvements to the CFSP to materialise and barriers that exist. Key findings of the thesis are summarised.