"The Expectations-Capability Gap? Studying EU Diplomatic Cooperation in Third Countries"

Bale, Tim. (1999) "The Expectations-Capability Gap? Studying EU Diplomatic Cooperation in Third Countries". In: UNSPECIFIED, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Research into the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is largely restricted to procedural studies of cooperation taking place at an intergovernmental level within Europe and/or to case studies involving intervention (or the lack of it!) in well-known global flashpoints. As a result, there remains a gap in our knowledge about the more mundane, but arguably just as significant, cooperation between EU states at the diplomatic level in third countries. This paper describes and presents findings from the first stage of a project which aims to study diplomatic cooperation in several countries of varying sizes. It attempts-using the results of a study in Canberra, Australia, and Wellington, New Zealand, involving interviews with Heads of Mission and the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade-to portray and develop explanations of current progress. It explores, for example, whether enthusiasm for and the extent of cooperation varies a) according to member-state size and/or the holder of the presidency, b) with regard to particular issues, and c) according to the nature and preferences of the host country; it also looks at the role of the European Commission Delegation. It concludes by looking at the obstacles to greater integration in this neglected but not necessarily insignificant dimension of the CFSP.

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