Book Description

Like early mariners, politicians and officials trying to navigate European foreign policy find themselves in an environment of unpredictable hazards hidden institutional shoals, and legal reefs that can tear the bottom out of a policy. This insightful collection of contrasted studies shines the twin beams of political science and legal analysis into these opaque depths. Practitioners as well as scholars will benefit from the illumination. Nick Witney, European Council on Foreign Relations and Former Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, UK This collection on EU foreign policy is an attractive one for several reasons: it contains a very nice set of essays on a topic which has loomed large on the European Union agenda for some years, namely the international role of the EU. The chapters are written by a range of interesting and eminent scholars in the field. Most importantly in terms of its distinctive contribution, the book brings together perspectives from law and from political science. This is done in part by including chapters by authors from different disciplines but also by choosing cross-pillar themes and topics such as the European Neighbourhood Policy, EU policy on Kosovo, security and defence policy, as well as more general cross-cutting themes like the idea of coherence , the position of the EU within international organizations, and the approach of the EU to the international legal order. Each of the individual chapters is well worth reading, and the book as a whole is a useful and interesting contribution to the existing literature. Gráinne de Búrca, Harvard Law School, US Written by leading experts, this book focuses on central issues of the foreign policy of the European Union. The issues explored include: how the EU s judges understand its relationship with the international order; the coherence of the Union s external action; the EU s approach to its neighbours; the Common Security and Defence Policy; and, the EU s participation in international organisations. By addressing each topic from a legal, political science and international relations standpoint, this relevant book highlights the different perspectives that these disciplines bring to the central issues of the EU s foreign affairs, and starts a conversation between the respective communities. Scholars and students in European and international law, politics, and international relations will find this book insightful. It will also prove timely for policy-makers in the EU and international organisations, as well as think tanks and non-governmental organisations specialising in European affairs.