The interface between national and EU foreign policy in the CFSP : the case of Finland

Abstract

This dissertation aims to explain the differences which exist between the national and EU foreign policy for small member states, taking into consideration the case study of Finland also aims to see whether the second pillar of the EU provides an adequate environment for the main aims of the national foreign policies of small states to be achieved. The number of small states has grown a lot in Europe since the end of the cold war. As a result of newly gained independence or disintegration of federations, states with relatively small numbers of inhabitants have become more numerous. This evolution has tended to increase interest in small states research. Hitherto, small states were seen as suffering from power inferiority and without being able to have their own independent national foreign policy. However, today the situation has changed as small states have learnt to overcome some of their main difficulties and have began adopting a number of different policies regard to their degree of participation in international organisations and international affairs in general. It is very important for small states to expand their participation in the international community. The EU is a union of predominantly small states. The enlargement in 1995 had brought three small states that are Austria, Finland and Sweden and nine out of the ten new member states are considered small states. In the EU 19 out of 25 member states are in fact small states. This dissertation shall first focus on defining the concept of a small state per se and the challenges that a small state faces when adopting its national foreign policy. Than I shall determine possible policies that might help the small state to overcome its weaknesses, including that of joining a regional integration project becoming a member of the EU and take part in the second pillar that is in the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) pillar. I shall discuss whether small states have been able to achieve their national foreign policy interests through the EU? And to what extent did the EU help the small states to overcome their weaknesses?