"New European approaches to peace and security"

Davidson, Jonathan. (2001) "New European approaches to peace and security". In: UNSPECIFIED, Madison, Wisconsin. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

European security and defence policy (ESDP) arose in the context of calls for more burden sharing by Europeans in transatlantic defence and security, the growing external role of the EU, the internal logic of European integration, and specific threats to security and stability in Europe arising from wars of Yugoslav succession. Sifting through the various motivations behind ESDP helps illuminate the critical factors in the new policy course for Europe and may shed light on its prospects of success. The four primary impulses noted above-greater burden sharing in the transatlantic alliance, growing willingness and capacity of the EU to assert itself abroad, the internal logic of European integration, and tackling security problems on the EU's borders-are not mutually exclusive. In many respects they are mutually reinforcing. How much weight to attribute to each motivation will suggest the strength of political conviction behind ESDP. Different member states have different interests and convictions in and ambitious for ESDP and will attribute greater or lesser weight to these various rationales. This raises questions in some minds as to the credibility of ESDP. How much unity of purpose underpins the new policy? Is a common defence and security policy truly viable in the absence of a firmer constitutional substructure for the Union and deeper political integration? All this relates in turn to the ultimate and perhaps overriding factor-for how long will European leaders sustain the political will which has propelled ESDP so rapidly and impressively in its infancy?

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