The European Union in International Politics: Baptism by Fire (New International Relations of Europe)

Description

As the world looks to Europe to take on more responsibility in international politics and security in the devastating aftermath of Bosnia and Kosovo, this pathbreaking book provides the first systematic evaluation of the impact of the European Union (EU) on a global scale. Little is known of the EU's international influence, yet if the EU is to develop a viable Common Foreign and Security Policy, other actors will have to perceive the Union as an important player. Roy Ginsberg fills this vital gap by first linking the contexts and sources of EU foreign policy actions with the processes and outputs of decisionmaking and then examining how outsiders view the EU. Combining a masterly synthesis of the literature with invaluable primary interviews and case studies that document the reach of and limits to the EU's influence, Ginsberg's analysis takes the study of EU foreign policy to a new level. By defining, describing, and explaining the different levels and degrees of external impact, the book serves as a model for the advancement of conceptual knowledge, rigorous political science research, and state-of-the-art survey techniques and methodology. Scholars and students alike will find this rounded and nuanced work indespensable for understanding EU involvement in international politics seen from the perspective of non-EU players, particularly after the war in Kosovo, the enactment of the Treaty of Amsterdam, and the Cologne Summit.