The influence of the EU Neutrals on European Security and Defence Policy

Term Paper (Advanced seminar) , 2005 , 33 Pages , Grade: 1,0

Politics - Topic: European Union

In the space of a few years, the EU has made more progress on developing its European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) than in the previous forty years of European integration. This has occurred despite the fact that four EU member states that are historically “neutral”, i.e. they are not members of NATO and are merely observers (not members) of WEU. Namely, these states are Austria, Finland, Ireland and Sweden (henceforth: EU neutrals). Many of the ESDP measures (unanimously!) adopted by the EU seem incompatible with such neutrality policies. How, then, has it been possible for ESDP to evolve so significantly since 1997 in light of the fact that the Union must accommodate the concerns of the EU neutrals?
In this paper, I argue that ESDP has been able to develop so rapidly because it has been crafted so as to allow for the participation of Austria, Finland, Ireland and Sweden without jeopardizing their neutrality policies. Specifically, this means that ESDP has adopted solely functions that reflect the preferences of EU neutral states – a preference that ESDP encompass matters concerning “security and defence cooperation”, whilst excluding a “common defence”. Thus my independent variable is the preferences of neutral states for ESDP. My dependent variable are the institutional functions that ESDP adopted between 1997 and 2004, as reflected in actual policy agreed upon by the European Council. I limit my investigation to a case study of the Irish government’s preferences for ESDP functions in relation to several specific instances of ESDP evolution (European Council meetings and Intergovernmental Conferences).
My paper proceeds as follows: The first section specifies my explanatory factor – the preferences of neutral states for ESDP – and draws on rationalist institutionalist theory to lay out my hypothesis that ESDP will only encompass those functions the neutral states favour. The second section discusses the operationalisation of the independent and dependent variables and presents the data sources to be used. In the third section, I engage in the case study analysis of Irish influence on ESDP. The fourth section summarises the findings, discusses the strengths and shortcomings of my study and rationalist institutionalism’s application to it.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• 1. A possible explanatory factor: The preferences of neutral states
  • 1.1. A Change in the International System...
  • 1.2. ... yields a change in state preferences...
    • 1.2.1. A changed concept of “neutrality”
    • 1.2.2. Changed Neutral State Preferences for ESDP functions
  • 1.3. and a change in the cooperation problem.
• 2. Operationalisation
• 3. Case Study: Ireland
  • 3.1. 1996/1997 Intergovernmental Conference and the Treaty of Amsterdam (2001)
  • 3.2. Cologne European Council (1999)
  • 3.3. The Helsinki (1999) and Feira (2000) European Councils
  • 3.4. Nice Intergovernmental Conference (2000) and the Treaty of Nice (2001)
  • 3.5. The 2003/04 ICG and the European Constitutional Convention (2002-2004)
• 4. Conclusion
  • 4.1. Summary and Discussion of Findings
  • 4.2. Representativeness
  • 4.3. Assessing the Applicability of Rational Choice Institutionalism

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to analyze the impact of EU neutral states' preferences on the development of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) between 1997 and 2004. It specifically focuses on the case of Ireland, examining how its government's preferences shaped the institutional functions of ESDP during this period. The analysis utilizes rationalist institutionalist theory to explain the evolution of ESDP and the role of state preferences in shaping security institutions. The key themes explored in the paper include:

• The impact of the end of the Cold War on the international security environment and the preferences of neutral states
• The evolution of the concept of neutrality in the post-Cold War era
• The relationship between state preferences, institutional functions, and the development of ESDP
• The use of a case study approach to assess the explanatory power of rationalist institutionalism
• The interplay between the preferences of EU neutral states and the alliance commitments of NATO members in shaping ESDP

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of ESDP's rapid development in the post-Cold War era, despite the presence of EU neutral states. The paper argues that ESDP was designed to accommodate the preferences of these neutral states, focusing on "security and defence cooperation" rather than "common defence."
• 1. A possible explanatory factor: The preferences of neutral states: This chapter explains the theoretical framework of rationalist institutionalism, highlighting the importance of state preferences in determining institutional functions. It argues that the end of the Cold War created a new security environment that influenced the preferences of neutral states, leading them to reconsider their neutrality policies.
• 2. Operationalisation: This chapter outlines the methods used to operationalize the independent and dependent variables (state preferences and ESDP functions, respectively) and describes the data sources used for the analysis.
• 3. Case Study: Ireland: This chapter provides a detailed case study analysis of the Irish government's preferences for ESDP functions in relation to specific instances of ESDP evolution, including European Council meetings and Intergovernmental Conferences.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key keywords and focus topics of this work include: European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), EU Neutrals, State Preferences, Rationalist Institutionalism, Neutrality, Post-Cold War Security Environment, Case Study, Ireland, International Relations, Institutional Evolution, Security Cooperation, Common Defence. These terms encapsulate the primary themes and research focus of the paper, highlighting the interplay between state preferences, security institutions, and the evolving international security environment.

• College: Free University of Berlin (Otto-Suhr-Institut)
• Course: The Evolution of European Security Institutions
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Elisabeth Heid (Author)
• Publication Year: 2005
• Pages: 33
• Catalog Number: V52721
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638483582
• ISBN (Book): 9783656811305
• Language: English
• Tags: Neutrals, European, Security, Defence, Policy, Evolution, European, Security, Institutions