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The European Union’s Self-conception of its Roles in Global Affairs

Bengtsson, Rikard LU orcid (2022) p.115-127
Abstract

In many ways, the European Union (EU) may be considered a unique foreign policy actor, combining a peculiar institutional design and set of resources with a specific normative agenda for and ambition in global affairs. Through a two-stage analysis, this chapter examines the role self-conception of the EU as it appears from the EU Global Strategy, released in 2016 as the overarching guide for foreign policy action. First, a comparative analysis of the EU’s European Security Strategy from 2003 and the current global strategy is advanced, focused on continuities and changes in role self-conceptions. While key continuities are evident, drastic changes dominate the picture, reflecting EU-internal as well as external developments. Against... (More)

In many ways, the European Union (EU) may be considered a unique foreign policy actor, combining a peculiar institutional design and set of resources with a specific normative agenda for and ambition in global affairs. Through a two-stage analysis, this chapter examines the role self-conception of the EU as it appears from the EU Global Strategy, released in 2016 as the overarching guide for foreign policy action. First, a comparative analysis of the EU’s European Security Strategy from 2003 and the current global strategy is advanced, focused on continuities and changes in role self-conceptions. While key continuities are evident, drastic changes dominate the picture, reflecting EU-internal as well as external developments. Against this background, the second step of the analysis contains a critical examination and problematization of the role self-conception that emanates from the 2016 strategy. The chapter concludes with reflections on internal and external preconditions for EU actorness in international relations, with special emphasis on the relationship with the US.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
National Role Conceptions in a New Millennium : Defining a Place in a Changing World - Defining a Place in a Changing World
pages
13 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85136124385
ISBN
9780367545383
9781000541151
DOI
10.4324/9781003092506-10
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d419b21c-eb05-4de9-9709-051466d9fa8e
date added to LUP
2023-01-03 15:39:11
date last changed
2024-06-27 17:40:23
@inbook{d419b21c-eb05-4de9-9709-051466d9fa8e,
  abstract     = {{<p>In many ways, the European Union (EU) may be considered a unique foreign policy actor, combining a peculiar institutional design and set of resources with a specific normative agenda for and ambition in global affairs. Through a two-stage analysis, this chapter examines the role self-conception of the EU as it appears from the EU Global Strategy, released in 2016 as the overarching guide for foreign policy action. First, a comparative analysis of the EU’s European Security Strategy from 2003 and the current global strategy is advanced, focused on continuities and changes in role self-conceptions. While key continuities are evident, drastic changes dominate the picture, reflecting EU-internal as well as external developments. Against this background, the second step of the analysis contains a critical examination and problematization of the role self-conception that emanates from the 2016 strategy. The chapter concludes with reflections on internal and external preconditions for EU actorness in international relations, with special emphasis on the relationship with the US.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bengtsson, Rikard}},
  booktitle    = {{National Role Conceptions in a New Millennium : Defining a Place in a Changing World}},
  isbn         = {{9780367545383}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{115--127}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  title        = {{The European Union’s Self-conception of its Roles in Global Affairs}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003092506-10}},
  doi          = {{10.4324/9781003092506-10}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}