The European Security Continuum and the EU as an International Security Provider

Abstract

The European Union has long been seen as a distinctive or sui generis actor in international politics, epitomised by the notions of civilian or normative power, or more recently by the ?Comprehensive Approach?. However, these conceptualisations of the EU as a distinctive international security provider are being challenged by the blurring of the traditional internal-external security divide. The threats and challenges identified in the various EU security strategies increasingly transcend geographic and bureaucratic boundaries, creating a European security continuum, which complicates the conceptualisation and operationalisation of the EU as a security provider. Significant friction continues to exist in the formulation and implementation of security policy as EU institutions and capabilities struggle to overcome the traditional architecture separating internal and external security. In parallel, the cross-fertilisation of internal and external security norms and practices undermines understandings of the EU's role as a normative international security provider

Foreign policy decision-making in operational overlap: the UK’s policing assistance in Afghanistan through the EU and NATO

“…Whilst several scholars question this rather selfproclaimed comprehensive the EU's approach, EU's response to all of the above security issues is different from the responses of NATO (e.g. Shepherd 2015, Faleg 2017, Juncos 2018, cf. Williams 2011.…”

The EU Governance System of External Relations

“…The mode of governance in the area of security demonstrates a reluctance to transfer powers to the EU level, but some new trends indicate a possible transit to a more complex mode of governance, particularly after 2000 (Shepherd 2015). More precisely, the creation of new mechanisms of security cooperation have paved the way to develop a horizontal nexus, in which the new institutional setting facilitates horizontal policy cooperation among the member states in order to implement EU policy concepts at the national level without relinquishing sovereignty or transferring power to the EU level (Tömmel 2016).…”

The Eu’s Common Security and Defence Policy in the Case of the Eulex Mission in Kosovo

“…Since 2003, the EU has deployed over 30 missions in the framework of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) whose purpose is to stabilise post-conflict states and societies by providing its share of contribution for international security alone or along with other crisis management actors (European External Action Service, 2018). As such, the EU has transformed its vision into action as an important security actor, while through the CFSP and CSDP channels the EU's commitments to the exterior and echoes its identity, values, norms and culture (Merlingen and Ostrauskaité, 2008;Toje, 2010;Breuer in Kurowska and Breuer, 2012;Ginsberg and Penksa, 2012;Kaunert and Zwolski, 2013;Larivé, 2014;Costa and Brack, 2014;Shepherd, 2015).…”