Theories Of The Making Of European Union Foreign Policy

Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, London School of Economics (Department of International Relations), language: English, abstract: In spite of the growing empirical significance of the European Union (EU) as a 'soft power', scholars of International Relations (IR) have found it difficult to identify a single theoretical framework to explain the making of European Foreign Policy (EFP). The reasons for this apparent failure of rigorous theory-building may be twofold. On the one hand, there is still much debate about what the EU - the ontological object of inquiry - actually is. On the other hand, many authors have taken a self-critical attitude towards their own discipline, emphasising that there is still a multiplicity of convictions as to how we can best theorise EFP. Though detailed analyses of the specific pattern of the EU's external relations have indeed been marginalised for a long time, it seems plausible to trace this lack of theoretical coherence back to the nature of EFP itself. It is often argued that the EU is a political system 'sui generis', a complex structure that is neither a state nor a non-state actor, and neither a conventional international organization nor an international regime. In a similar vein, some observers assert that the EU might most suitably be characterised as a hybrid political sphere that does not easily lend itself to classical Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA). In fact, the major IR perspectives on EU foreign policy-making - neorealist, neoliberal and constructivist - appear to be largely incompatible in this respect. Within each framework, certain claims are made which effectively rule out or downgrade the validity and reliability of key premises in rival approaches. Therefore, the central question posed in this essay is: Which theory best explains the making of EU foreign policy? And if there is no single theoretical paradigm, might there be any potential for an ana

Ben Soetendorp examines the extent to which individual member states - each with their own history, special interests and styles of foreign policy-making - still dominate the common foreign policy making process within the European Union. The first part of the book reviews the diverse foreign policy patterns of the individual member states towards European integration, describes the various styles of foreign policy and examines the institutional arrangements for joint foreign policy-making created by the member states at EU level. The second part looks more closely at the reality of foreign policy making in a number of case studies, focusing on the diplomatic, military and economic dimensions of European Union's foreign policy. This structure and approach enable s the reader to understand the reality of European foreign policy-making, to comprehend the relationship between the foreign policies of the member states of the EU and the foreign policy of the EU as a whole and to make a judgement as to the likely scenarios for the future. Foreign Policy in the European Union is an important and accessible addition to the textbook literature on European integration that will be essential reading for undergraduate and Masters level courses on European integration within politics, international relations, European Studies and history degrees.

This is an open access title available under the terms of a [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com. This cutting-edge book explores the practices and socialization of the everyday foreign policy making in the European Union (EU), focusing on the individuals who shape and implement the Common Foreign and Security Policy despite a growing dissension among member states.

This text reviews a variety of approaches to the study of the European Union's foreign policy. Much analysis of EU foreign policy contains implicit theoretical assumptions about the nature of the EU and its member states, their inter-relationships, the international system in which they operate and the nature and direction of European integration. In many instances such assumptions, given that they are not discussed openly, curtail rather than facilitate debate. The purpose of this book is to open up this field of enquiry so that students, observers and analysts of EU foreign policy can review a broad range of tools and theoretical templates from which the development and the trajectory of the EU's foreign policy can be studied.

Leading scholars in discourse analysis and European foreign policy join forces in this book, marking a real breakthrough in the literature. Not only do they offer original perspectives on European foreign policy, but they bring together various theories on foreign policy discourses that remain too often isolated from each other. This theoretical diversity is clearly reflected in the book’s four-pronged structure: Part I - Post-structuralist Approaches (with contributions from Thomas Diez, Henrik Larsen and Beste Isleyen); Part II - Constructivist Approaches (with contributions from Knud Erik Jørgensen, Jan Orbie, Ferdi de Ville, Esther Barbé , Anna Herranz-Surrallés and Michal Natorski); Part III - Critical Discourse Analytical Approaches (with contributions from Senem Aydin-Düzgit, Amelie Kutter, Ruth Wodak, Salomi Boukala and Caterina Carta); Part IV - Discursive Institutionalist Approaches (with contributions from Ben Rosamond, Antoine Rayroux and Vivien A. Schmidt). The volume is the first full-length study on how to apply different discourse analytical approaches and methodologies to European foreign policy. The paperback edition makes for a unique selling point as a course text.

The aim of this text is to find out to what extent the individual member states still dominate the common foreign policy making in the EU, and how the common foreign policy making in the EU framework constrains the foreign policy behaviour of individual member states.

During the last two decades the study of European foreign policy has experienced remarkable growth, presumably reflecting a more significant international role of the European Union. The Union has significantly expanded its policy portfolio and though empty symbolic politics still exists, the Union’s international relations have become more substantial and its foreign policy more focused. European foreign policy has become a dynamic policy area, being adapted to changing challenges and environments, such as the Arab Spring, new emerging economies/powers; the crisis of multilateralism and much more. The SAGE Handbook of European Foreign Policy, Two-Volume set, is a major reference work for Foreign Policy Programmes around the world. The Handbook is designed to be accessible to graduate and postgraduate students in a wide variety of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences. Both volumes are structured to address areas of critical concern to scholars at the cutting edge of all major dimensions of foreign policy. The volumes are composed of original chapters written specifically to the following themes: · Research traditions and historical experience · Theoretical perspectives · EU actors · State actors · Societal actors · The politics of European foreign policy · Bilateral relations · Relations with multilateral institutions · Individual policies · Transnational challenges The Handbook will be an essential reference for both advanced students and scholars.

The aim of this text is to find out to what extent the individual member states still dominate the common foreign policy making in the EU, and how the common foreign policy making in the EU framework constrains the foreign policy behaviour of individual member states.