European Union Military Operations. A Collective Action Perspective

Description

This book offers an in-depth study on the deployment of military operations in the framework of the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy (ESDP/CSDP). While existing studies of the subject are either descriptive or focused on a single level of analysis, this book incorporates factors from three different levels of analysis to explain the deployment of ESDP military operations. First, the international level, where the emergence of events that threaten certain values held dear by EU member states, catalyses the process leading to an operation; second, the national level, where the member states formulate their initial national preferences towards a prospective deployment based on national utility expectations; and third, the EU level, where the member states come to negotiate and seek compromises to accommodate their different national preferences towards a deployment. The strength of this multi-level collective action approach is demonstrated by four in-depth military case studies, which analyse the preference formation of France, Germany, and the UK towards the deployments of Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Operation Artemis and EUFOR RD Congo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia, respectively. The author draws on a wealth of primary sources, including over 50 semi-structured interviews conducted with national and EU officials during 2011-15, and provides an up-to-date overview and critique of the existing theoretical literature on the deployment of ESDP/CSDP military operations. This book will be of much interest to students of European security, EU politics, military and strategic studies, and International Relations in general. Cover Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Contents List of Tables Preface Bibliography Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: New frontier: The deployment of European Unionmilitary operations Development of an EU military intervention capability Deployment of EU military operations Studying EU military operations Existing literature Argument Outline of the book Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 2: Revelations: A multi-level collective action approach International level State level EU level Methodology Conclusion Note Bibliography Chapter 3: Out of the shadows: Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina Background Agenda setting Planning and launch Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 4: To tame a land: Operation Artemis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Background Agenda setting Planning and launch Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 5: Déjà-vu: EUFOR RD Congo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Background Agenda setting Planning and launch Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 6: Gangland: Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia Background Agenda setting Planning and launch Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 7: The aftermath: Conclusions and final thoughts Argument Findings Operation Althea Operation Artemis EUFOR RD Congo Operation Atalanta Final reflections Bibliography Index