Foreign and Security Policy in the European Union

This book provides a comprehensive overview of why European intergration in Foreign and Security Policy has proved so difficult. The obstacles to developing a common policy in this second pillar of the European Union go the heart of debates around the sovereignty of the nation-state. A leading group of international contributors explain how these problems arise and consider the future prospects of developing a more regional-based solution. Broadly organized around the three areas of policy, actors, and issues, the first section traces the reluctant growth of European Union integration in foreign and security policy as it develop from the mid 1980s. In the second section, the national policies and interests that typically obstruct a common policy are explored through four key member states. The third section considers ways of addressing these and future problems like the European UnionÆs expansion to include Central and Eastern European nations, and the role of NATO, the WEU, and other transatlantic relationships, if cooperation and integration in the field is to gain credibility. Combining a number of different perspectives and conceptual frameworks, this book surveys all the main themes and issues of European integration. It will be invaluable reading for all students and researchers of European politics, the European Union, and international relations.