External relations
INTRODUCTION
1) European Foreign Policy (EFP)
• EU’s relations with non-EU countries: long tradition of economic relations with third countries
(Common Commercial Policy) = > supranational
• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) = > intergovernmental
• The foreign policies of the EU member states = > national.
2) Actors in EFP (“who do I call, if I want to talk to the EU?”)
• European Council (heads of state);
• Council of the EU: Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) deals with EU’s external action
• High Representative (HR) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice- President of the
European Commission
• European External Action Service (EAAS): the EU’s diplomatic service
• European Commission: DGs dealing with external trade policy, enlargement and neighbourhood
policies, development cooperation, humanitarian aid …
• European Parliament: Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Development, Committee
on international trade.
3) Instruments (policy area-specific)
• Agreements: trade agreements, association agreements…
• CSDP missions: military and civilian
• Financial assistance: humanitarian aid, development assistance, macro- financial assistance…
• Sanctions
• Diplomacy: diplomatic representation, mediation…
• Conditionality: leveraging benefits/financial support for achieving other goals (democracy,
cooperation on migration and/or terrorism…)
Page 1 of 59
,4) Theories and Concepts
• IR theories (focus on 3 main theories - realism, liberalism and constructivism);
• Supranationalism versus intergovernmentalism – main debate in European studies;
• What kind of power is the EU on the global stage? – Normative Power Europe, Liberal Power
Europe, Geopolitical Power, Market Power Europe …
LECTURE: IR THEORIES
Classical realism (Morgenthau 1948)
• Rational states seek to maximize power and security in an anarchical world
• Pessimistic about human nature and the state as a black box
• IR is a zero-sum game (absolute gains matter) and it is hard to overcome power politics
• Emphasis is on hard power (military)
• Balance of power is what maintains the stability of the system
• Sceptic about international cooperation/ law because of ‘relative gains’ concerns
General definition of Realism: realism focuses on what is, not what ought to be, and is centrally
concerned with the implications of the unequal distribution of relative power capability in an anarchic
international system. Realists tend to focus on the structural pressure of the international system of
actors.
1. First strand of Realism: philosophical mood realism is pessimistic about the prospect for social
progress and sceptical. Because of the structural pressure of international politics state have to
choose confrontation.
2. Second strand of Realism: a guide to action. What is desirable or what is to achieve ? States need to
focus on national interest / security.
3. Third strand of Realism: an impulse for rational understanding which seeks to understand the
world regardless of our hopes and desires, and involves constructing and exploring a rational world
of related concepts to which every fact is given a place and an interpretation.
Neo-realism (Waltz 1979)
• The structure of the international system is determined by the number of big powers
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,• Weak states have no other option than bandwagoning with the big powers
Realism/Neo-realism: EFP cooperation is unlikely
If it exists, it
• reflects the distribution of power amongst states
• Is sponsored by the most powerful states in order to maintain and increase power
• Is an area for pursuing power relationships;
• Is interest-driven, with an emphasis if security interests and strategic considerations
European Political Cooperation (EPC) (1970- 93)
a (neo)realist perspective (f.e. A. Pijpers, 1990)
• Foreign policy goes to the core of the sovereignty of the Member States
• Bipolar system leaves little scope for European foreign policy and security cooperation
• In the area of security, Member states have no other option than to bandwagon with the US
• Big Member States will only cooperate if it is in their interest – EPC as a way to control
Germany
A neo-realist interpretation of EFP
(Hyde Price, 2006)
• EFP is shaped in an important way by systemic pressures (structural distribution of power)
• EFP will primarily be interest driven; ethical concerns are second-order
• CFSP is destined to remain fundamentally intergovernmental and be shaped primarily by the
EU’s big powers
Page 3 of 59
, • The EU will only matter at the margins of European security
Case study: Eu, Ru and the eastern partnership
Failure of the EU External Policy. It focused on soft power and the export of EU institutions
and norms in order to cultivate “good governance”. It did not take into account the shifting of
power in the region and the interest of a resurgent/recidivist Russia. Failed to recognized the
geotrategic importance of Ukraine to Russia.
ENP: European Neighbourhood Policy
Realists would argue that it serve 3 purposes:
a. Security maximization b. “Milieu shaping”: states c. Second order normative
uses their power to shape concern (promote value)
the material and strategic
context (ex: enlargement)
Liberalism/ Liberal intergovernmentalism
• States try to maximise their economic welfare through mutual gains (win-win)
• International relations are governed through international law and arbitration
• International cooperation is possible and will grow over time; states have common interests
which they will collectively pursue
• International/ European politics as a two- level bargaining game: the domestic arena and the
international/ European arena
General definition of Liberal Intergovernmentalism: It portrays states as boundedly rational actors
pursuing national interest through intergovernmental bargaining and the constitution of common
functionals institution that help to overcome collective actions problems.
LI rejects the traditional concept of national preference (like single border, aggregate welfare, national
security in military…). The main preference are demands from powerful subnational stakeholders,
which varies according to the ecconomic/ cultural/ social context, and are filters by the institutions.
Page 4 of 59
INTRODUCTION
1) European Foreign Policy (EFP)
• EU’s relations with non-EU countries: long tradition of economic relations with third countries
(Common Commercial Policy) = > supranational
• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) = > intergovernmental
• The foreign policies of the EU member states = > national.
2) Actors in EFP (“who do I call, if I want to talk to the EU?”)
• European Council (heads of state);
• Council of the EU: Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) deals with EU’s external action
• High Representative (HR) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice- President of the
European Commission
• European External Action Service (EAAS): the EU’s diplomatic service
• European Commission: DGs dealing with external trade policy, enlargement and neighbourhood
policies, development cooperation, humanitarian aid …
• European Parliament: Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Development, Committee
on international trade.
3) Instruments (policy area-specific)
• Agreements: trade agreements, association agreements…
• CSDP missions: military and civilian
• Financial assistance: humanitarian aid, development assistance, macro- financial assistance…
• Sanctions
• Diplomacy: diplomatic representation, mediation…
• Conditionality: leveraging benefits/financial support for achieving other goals (democracy,
cooperation on migration and/or terrorism…)
Page 1 of 59
,4) Theories and Concepts
• IR theories (focus on 3 main theories - realism, liberalism and constructivism);
• Supranationalism versus intergovernmentalism – main debate in European studies;
• What kind of power is the EU on the global stage? – Normative Power Europe, Liberal Power
Europe, Geopolitical Power, Market Power Europe …
LECTURE: IR THEORIES
Classical realism (Morgenthau 1948)
• Rational states seek to maximize power and security in an anarchical world
• Pessimistic about human nature and the state as a black box
• IR is a zero-sum game (absolute gains matter) and it is hard to overcome power politics
• Emphasis is on hard power (military)
• Balance of power is what maintains the stability of the system
• Sceptic about international cooperation/ law because of ‘relative gains’ concerns
General definition of Realism: realism focuses on what is, not what ought to be, and is centrally
concerned with the implications of the unequal distribution of relative power capability in an anarchic
international system. Realists tend to focus on the structural pressure of the international system of
actors.
1. First strand of Realism: philosophical mood realism is pessimistic about the prospect for social
progress and sceptical. Because of the structural pressure of international politics state have to
choose confrontation.
2. Second strand of Realism: a guide to action. What is desirable or what is to achieve ? States need to
focus on national interest / security.
3. Third strand of Realism: an impulse for rational understanding which seeks to understand the
world regardless of our hopes and desires, and involves constructing and exploring a rational world
of related concepts to which every fact is given a place and an interpretation.
Neo-realism (Waltz 1979)
• The structure of the international system is determined by the number of big powers
Page 2 of 59
,• Weak states have no other option than bandwagoning with the big powers
Realism/Neo-realism: EFP cooperation is unlikely
If it exists, it
• reflects the distribution of power amongst states
• Is sponsored by the most powerful states in order to maintain and increase power
• Is an area for pursuing power relationships;
• Is interest-driven, with an emphasis if security interests and strategic considerations
European Political Cooperation (EPC) (1970- 93)
a (neo)realist perspective (f.e. A. Pijpers, 1990)
• Foreign policy goes to the core of the sovereignty of the Member States
• Bipolar system leaves little scope for European foreign policy and security cooperation
• In the area of security, Member states have no other option than to bandwagon with the US
• Big Member States will only cooperate if it is in their interest – EPC as a way to control
Germany
A neo-realist interpretation of EFP
(Hyde Price, 2006)
• EFP is shaped in an important way by systemic pressures (structural distribution of power)
• EFP will primarily be interest driven; ethical concerns are second-order
• CFSP is destined to remain fundamentally intergovernmental and be shaped primarily by the
EU’s big powers
Page 3 of 59
, • The EU will only matter at the margins of European security
Case study: Eu, Ru and the eastern partnership
Failure of the EU External Policy. It focused on soft power and the export of EU institutions
and norms in order to cultivate “good governance”. It did not take into account the shifting of
power in the region and the interest of a resurgent/recidivist Russia. Failed to recognized the
geotrategic importance of Ukraine to Russia.
ENP: European Neighbourhood Policy
Realists would argue that it serve 3 purposes:
a. Security maximization b. “Milieu shaping”: states c. Second order normative
uses their power to shape concern (promote value)
the material and strategic
context (ex: enlargement)
Liberalism/ Liberal intergovernmentalism
• States try to maximise their economic welfare through mutual gains (win-win)
• International relations are governed through international law and arbitration
• International cooperation is possible and will grow over time; states have common interests
which they will collectively pursue
• International/ European politics as a two- level bargaining game: the domestic arena and the
international/ European arena
General definition of Liberal Intergovernmentalism: It portrays states as boundedly rational actors
pursuing national interest through intergovernmental bargaining and the constitution of common
functionals institution that help to overcome collective actions problems.
LI rejects the traditional concept of national preference (like single border, aggregate welfare, national
security in military…). The main preference are demands from powerful subnational stakeholders,
which varies according to the ecconomic/ cultural/ social context, and are filters by the institutions.
Page 4 of 59
