European Foreign Policy in the 21st Century

Description

Can the EU increase its defence cooperation between Member States while dealing with the consequences of Brexit? Should the EU have its own army to defend itself? Has Europe’s Russian policy failed since the end of the Cold War? What about Europe's Southern Neighbourhood? How should the EU respond to the rise of China and the US’ trade war on China? Is it fair to say that the EU remains a global leader in helping developing countries in times of global financial crisis and on climate change after the Paris Agreement?

The European Union’s ambitions to be a global power are often seen as a by-product of European integration. As the EU emerges as an economic and normative power, the EU can be understood as a new kind of international actor. Students of ‘European foreign policy’ focus on EU trade, aid and the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), but cannot neglect how the EU’s international role is shaped by its strengths and weaknesses and how the Member States of the EU interact with the foreign policy of the Union. Understanding the global role of the EU also depends on how we understand power and the unique identity of the EU in the international system.

This course introduces historical developments, key concepts, policy-making and important policy areas and bilateral relations of the European Union’s foreign policy. Upon understanding basic power concepts, decision-making processes, including the creation of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the increasing number of civilian and military and military crisis management operations, and key policy fields, the course then looks at the EU’s relations in its immediate neighbours, the EU, Russia, China and its global relevance with the Asia Pacific. The course concludes with an assessment of institutional changes as a result of the Lisbon Treaty, and how the EU and its Member States respond to new external and internal challenges, what do the unique strengths and weakness of the EU tell us about power in international politics. The course will also examine the potential impact of Brexit and US elections on the shape and form of European foreign policy.