Overview of the Common Foreign and Security Policy Intervention by the EU Bibliography

Overview of the Common Foreign and Security Policy

The Common Foreign and Security Policy was established by the Maastricht Treaty to replace the former European Political Cooperation (EPC). The CFSP was formerly one of the three pillars of the European Union until the Treaty of Lisbon altered this arrangement. The CFSP operates in the fields of security and defence and world affairs. Its primary aim is to promote cooperation between members of the European Union in order to exert their influence in world affairs such as conflict resolution and international terrorism. Specifically the EU act as one to reinforce their status and resources to achieve policies they are in favour of. Individually, countries do not have the same impact thus as they share common objectives and values, it is in their best interest to be able to work together.

The conditions of the EU’s CFSP are laid out in Article 11 of the Treaty on European Union Title V. Its principle objectives are:

• To safeguard the common values, fundamental interests, independence and integrity of the Union in conformity with the principles of the United Nations Charter
  
  
• To strengthen the security of the Union in all ways
  
  
• To preserve peace and strengthen international security, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter, as well as the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the objectives of the Paris Charter, including those on external borders
  
  
• To promote international cooperation
  
  
• To develop and consolidate democracy and the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms

                                                                                                                                                                 (Council of the European Union) 

In order for the EU to act successfully in the field of foreign policy making, member states must be in accordance. If member states do not reach unanimity, any actions are held invalid. Some successes of this include the Helsinki Final Act in 1975 and the Venice Declaration on the Middle East in 1980 as well as playing a vital part in current international issues such as global warming and the conflict in the Middle East.

Intervention by the EU

The European Union uses a combination of armed forces contributed by its various members in order to carry out peacekeeping, crisis management and humanitarian missions.

A discussion of the CFSP is necessary in order to understand the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) which you can read more on here.

Bibliography

Council of the European Union (n.d.), Provisions on a Common Foreign and Security Policy. Available at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/Treaty%20on%20European%20Union%20-%20Title%20V.pdf (Accessed: 29th April 2011)

Ekengren, M. (2006), 'New Security Challenges and the Need for New Forms of EU Cooperation: The Solidarity Declaration against Terrorism and the Open Method of Coordination'. European Security, Vol. 15 (1), pp. 89-110.

Euromove (2008), The EU's Common Foreign & Security Policy and the European Defence & Security Policy. Available at: http://www.euromove.org.uk/index.php?id=6512 (Accessed: 12th April 2011)

Europa (2011), Foreign and Security Policy: Speaking With One Voice. Available at: http://europa.eu/pol/cfsp/index_en.htm (Accessed: 18th April 2011)

Europa External Action Service (2011), Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) for the European Union. Available at: http://eeas.europa.eu/cfsp/index_en.htm (Accessed: 21st April 2011)

University of North Carolina (n.d.), Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) - What is it. Available at: http://www.unc.edu/depts/europe/conferences/eu/Cfsp/cfsp4.html (Accessed: 16th April 2011)