The Evolution of an EU ‘institution’: Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)

Simon Sweeney

The Evolution of an EU ‘institution’: Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)

The York Management School

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

Abstract

Institutions are not simply organisations with headquarters, boards of directors and chief executives. They may also be policy frameworks within organisations. The European Union is an organisation that contains institutions: the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the European Parliament are the best known. It also contains policy framework areas like the Common Agricultural Policy, Economic and Monetary Union and the Common Security and Defence Policy that may be assigned institutional status. CSDP developed from the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) which was signalled in the bilateral Franco-British St Malo Declaration in 1998.

What has the ESDP/CSDP process achieved to merit consideration as an ‘institution’? Is it as some critics suppose too lacking in strategic and operational coherence to be taken seriously in the face of current security challenges? How does CSDP articulate with international business, in particular in the defence industry sector? Are transnational partnerships a growing characteristic of the EU defence industry?

This paper suggests that the EU is a small but significant player in international security and that despite its low profile CSDP is an important development in the wider European integration process. In order for CSDP to gain traction however it requires a stronger industrial underpinning. This might have emerged from the failed EADS/BAE merger proposal. It was not to be. Is this a sign that CSDP will never change the EU’s status as economic giant, but political dwarf?

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 13 Jun 2013
Event	CEGBI Annual Research Conference York Management School - Univerrsity of York, York, United Kingdom Duration: 13 Jun 2013 → 14 Jun 2013

Conference

Conference	CEGBI Annual Research Conference York Management School
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	York
Period	13/06/13 → 14/06/13

Access to Document

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Sweeney

Cite this

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title = "The Evolution of an EU {\textquoteleft}institution{\textquoteright}: Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)",

abstract = "Institutions are not simply organisations with headquarters, boards of directors and chief executives. They may also be policy frameworks within organisations. The European Union is an organisation that contains institutions: the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the European Parliament are the best known. It also contains policy framework areas like the Common Agricultural Policy, Economic and Monetary Union and the Common Security and Defence Policy that may be assigned institutional status. CSDP developed from the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) which was signalled in the bilateral Franco-British St Malo Declaration in 1998. What has the ESDP/CSDP process achieved to merit consideration as an {\textquoteleft}institution{\textquoteright}? Is it as some critics suppose too lacking in strategic and operational coherence to be taken seriously in the face of current security challenges? How does CSDP articulate with international business, in particular in the defence industry sector? Are transnational partnerships a growing characteristic of the EU defence industry?This paper suggests that the EU is a small but significant player in international security and that despite its low profile CSDP is an important development in the wider European integration process. In order for CSDP to gain traction however it requires a stronger industrial underpinning. This might have emerged from the failed EADS/BAE merger proposal. It was not to be. Is this a sign that CSDP will never change the EU{\textquoteright}s status as economic giant, but political dwarf?",

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AB - Institutions are not simply organisations with headquarters, boards of directors and chief executives. They may also be policy frameworks within organisations. The European Union is an organisation that contains institutions: the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the European Parliament are the best known. It also contains policy framework areas like the Common Agricultural Policy, Economic and Monetary Union and the Common Security and Defence Policy that may be assigned institutional status. CSDP developed from the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) which was signalled in the bilateral Franco-British St Malo Declaration in 1998. What has the ESDP/CSDP process achieved to merit consideration as an ‘institution’? Is it as some critics suppose too lacking in strategic and operational coherence to be taken seriously in the face of current security challenges? How does CSDP articulate with international business, in particular in the defence industry sector? Are transnational partnerships a growing characteristic of the EU defence industry?This paper suggests that the EU is a small but significant player in international security and that despite its low profile CSDP is an important development in the wider European integration process. In order for CSDP to gain traction however it requires a stronger industrial underpinning. This might have emerged from the failed EADS/BAE merger proposal. It was not to be. Is this a sign that CSDP will never change the EU’s status as economic giant, but political dwarf?

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