Understanding the European Union as a Global Actor

Abstract

The European Union’s (EU) ability to prevent conflict has traditionally been measured through the developments in its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) capabilities, and more recently, by the development of a European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Indeed, the instruments and resources to operationalise a ‘common’ CFSP and ESDP have continued apace since the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 with major innovations including the appointment of Javier Solana as the High Representative of the CFSP (1997 Amsterdam Treaty) to strengthen the identity and profile of the EU abroad, and the introduction of a European Rapid Reaction Force to strengthen the capacity of the Union to act in crisis management (agreed at the Helsinki Summit in 1999). However, although it is clear that substantial progress has been made, the ‘hard security’ instruments of the EU are, in reality, still in developmental form,¹ in particular with regard to institutional innovation, decision-making and coordination: problems in agreeing to a position on Iraq (March 2003) bear testament to the existing problems in these areas.²