The European Union and humanitarian intervention

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the meaning of Humanitarian Intervention and the difficulties associated with it. It looks then at the evolving EU policy particularly in the area of external relations, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy up to the changes brought about by the Lisbon Treaty to see whether the EU has acquired the legal and decision-making powers to decide on Humanitarian Intervention. The challenges and problems which were brought about by the crisis in Kosovo are used as a case study to show the difficulties which the EU faces in acting decisively and coherently. Finally, in the conclusion the analysis is brought together. The main conclusion is that the EU still faces enormous difficulties in mounting some aspects of humanitarian intervention, particularly those involving military assets and this needs to be addressed when the 2003 European Security Strategy comes up for review again.