B3 Integration and Fragmentation: Challenges for EU Security Policy

Chair: Bastian Giegerich (International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK)

The European Union has done much to developed the beginnings of a European Security and Defence Policy. However, many challenges remain. The complexity of contemporary security policy calls for an integrated approach for various EU policies across the different pillars and available instruments. This has been recognized most prominently in the European Security Strategy of 2003. Whereas civilian and military crisis management tools are concentrated in the EU’s CFSP and ESDP, European assistance programmes and instruments such as the European Neighbourhood Policy, which also have clearly visible security agendas, are under the direction of the Commission. Council and Commission decision-making structures on these issues remain separated to this date leading to a lack of strategic coordination of the available means.

The proposed panel invites contributions that – either in a conceptual or empirical way – shed light on the challenges affecting ESDP, and in particular the difficulties the lack of strategic coordination creates. It welcomes papers on how the problems facing ESDP might be remedied, as the European Union tries to live up to its potential promise of being a truly comprehensive actor in the security field.