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1892. France and European defence: Continuity in long-term objectives, change in strategy
- Author:
- Pernille Reiker
- Publication Date:
- 12-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
- Abstract:
- While the overall ambition (grandeur and status-seeking) in French foreign policy has been surprisingly stable, different strategies and approaches have been adopted. The French approach over the past 15 to 20 years has been to focus on status-seeking through legitimacy, and we have seen a gradual shift towards a French foreign policy that is increasingly guided by international law and multilateralism. There are also elements of both continuity and change in French ambitions for European defence. While the long-term ambition is the same, the French approach towards European defence has changed from being concerned with developing the defence structures within the EU (“Europe de la defence”) to becoming more concerned with the need to strengthen the European capacity to act. Different types of French initiatives over the past decades – within or outside the European Union – must all be seen as ways of strengthening the European defence capacity: The French return to NATO’s International Military Staff in 2009, the French-British defence cooperation from 2010, the French-German initiative to set up the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and the recent French initiative to launch a European Intervention Initiative (EI2).
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Regional Cooperation, Military Strategy, and European Union
- Political Geography:
- Europe and France
1893. European Defence: Give PESCO a Chance
- Author:
- Sven Biscop
- Publication Date:
- 06-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- At their 1998 Saint-Malo Summit, the UK and France initiated the creation of a military arm for the European Union, now known as the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Ever since, EU member states have consistently claimed that more cooperation between their armed forces is the only way to significantly increase military capability. Successive projects have been proposed, yet none has ever really been implemented.Sceptics can therefore be forgiven for eyeing the EU’s latest initiative, known as Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), with some suspicion – not least because the EU has already tried and failed to activate PESCO, in 2010 after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, NATO, Regional Cooperation, Military Strategy, and European Union
- Political Geography:
- Europe, North Atlantic, and North America
1894. Exploring the Boundaries of Conditionality in the EU
- Author:
- Alexander Mattelaer
- Publication Date:
- 06-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- Conditionality in the EU comes in many forms: legally codified and enforced by the Court of Justice, or reliant on intergovernmental bargaining and expressed by means of political or economic (dis)incentives. This European Policy Brief explores the boundaries of the conditionality debate, and assesses what varying degrees of conditionality can and cannot achieve. The overarching objective of conditionality is to foster integration and cohesion amongst the peoples of Europe and their Member States. A sound logic of conditionality must therefore set incentives in such a way that their application contributes to this intended outcome. A balanced combination of political, legal and budgetary instruments can help remedy a major lacuna in the Treaties: the effective protection of the rule of law and democracy.
- Topic:
- Regional Cooperation, European Union, Democracy, Legal Theory, and Integration
- Political Geography:
- Europe
1895. More Room for European Agencies in the EU Decision-Making Process?
- Author:
- Basile Ridard
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- The European institutions are not always able to address crises in a timely manner due to the cumbersome decision-making process. European agencies often provide the most appropriate response to the concerns of citizens and businesses that are experienced across the single market. They should be granted greater autonomy to bring to life EU policies while being made more responsible. At a time of growing uncertainties, the EU needs to further develop existing EU agencies and create new ones for addressing new cross-border challenges. A common legal framework should also be created for all EU agencies in order to harmonize their overall functioning.
- Topic:
- Regional Cooperation, European Union, Legal Theory, and Medicine
- Political Geography:
- Europe
1896. Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy: What does it mean for the European Union?
- Author:
- Nanae Baldauff
- Publication Date:
- 11-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- Not so long ago Japan seemed to be left out on the diplomatic stage, notably when it decided not to join China’s newly established Asian Investment and Infrastructure Bank (AIIB) in 2015. But while no one can deny China’s impressive global outreach under the banner of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Japan has not been sitting idly by. Quite the contrary, Japan is playing a leading role in shaping the concept of free and open Indo-Pacific region, and has positioned itself as an important political actor that upholds the rule of law under its Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy (FOIP). As China becomes more and more assertive economically and militarily, strengthening ties with Japan becomes all the more important for the European Union (EU). As a strategic partner of Japan, the EU more than ever needs to work with Japan in upholding the liberal international order.
- Topic:
- Regional Cooperation, Military Strategy, European Union, and Investment
- Political Geography:
- Japan, China, Europe, Asia, and Indo-Pacific
1897. Endorsing Brexit or Preparing for ‘No Deal’? A Belgian Perspective
- Author:
- Alexander Mattelaer
- Publication Date:
- 11-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- What are we to make of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration outlining the future relationship between the EU and the UK? This European Policy Brief explores the current state of the Brexit debate from a Belgian perspective. While the Brexit deal deserves to be welcomed, domestic politics continue to act as a bottleneck. Whether or not the Withdrawal Agreement obtains parliamentary approval, Belgian authorities would do well to stay alert and prepare for multiple potential outcomes.
- Topic:
- Regional Cooperation, European Union, and Brexit
- Political Geography:
- United Kingdom, Europe, and Belgium
1898. The EU and China: Modest Signs of Convergence?
- Author:
- Gustaaf Geeraets
- Publication Date:
- 12-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- Against a background in which the United States is increasingly drawing into question its commitments to free trade and the global commons, the challenge for the EU and China is to deal with a global governance system that is evolving from a multilateral system centred around the US into a more diffuse system resting on the three strong trading poles: China, the EU and the US.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Governance, European Union, and Multilateralism
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, Europe, Asia, and North America
1899. Why It Matters What We Do: Arab Citizens' Perceptions of the European Union after the 2011 Uprisings
- Author:
- Kressen Thyen
- Publication Date:
- 03-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Global and Area Studies
- Abstract:
- In the Middle East and North Africa, EU foreign policy has tended to prioritise regime stability over democratisation. Existing research has argued that this could create anti‐European sentiment in the respective populations. However, empirical evidence on the relationship between the EU’s stance towards regime change and citizen attitudes remains rare. Focusing on Morocco and Egypt, this study uses a mixed‐methods approach, combining qualitative case studies with original survey data to examine whether the EU’s divergent responses to the 2011 uprisings in these two countries are mirrored in regime opponents’ support for EU cooperation.
- Topic:
- Social Movement, European Union, Democracy, Arab Spring, and Protests
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Europe, Middle East, Egypt, and Morocco
1900. The future of EU civilian crisis management: Finding a niche
- Author:
- Teemu Tammikko and Jyrki Ruohomaki
- Publication Date:
- 05-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
- Abstract:
- The EU’s Civilian CSDP Compact aims to revitalize an important tool that has been suffering from lack of interest among member states, amid the greater interest in boosting the EU’s defence capabilities instead. Adding scalability and modularity to the Union’s civilian missions should make them more flexible. Expanding the competences of internal security agencies to act externally may increase internal competition over the same resources and lead to overlapping tasks in external action. Despite the momentum for reforming the EU’s key security instruments, there seems to be less interest in reforming the decision-making structures regarding them, which can lead to insufficient coordination and coherence between actors on the ground.
- Topic:
- Security, Regional Cooperation, European Union, and Crisis Management
- Political Geography:
- Europe