The European Union's Strategic Partnerships: Global Diplomacy in a Contested World

Description

This book provides a critical and updated analysis of the nature of the EU’s strategic partnership diplomacy, and of the partnerships themselves, in times of power shift and contestation. It links with key aspects of the EU’s Global Strategy; it brings together a strong list of experts who work within a clear framework for analysis; and it deals not only with the substance of the policy but also with the ways in which the policy as a whole has emerged, is conducted and might develop in the future. In offering an inclusive set of case studies and diverse perspectives, this book aims to advance both conceptualization and analysis of the implementation of the established EU partnerships. The book highlights the notion of strategic partnership as a foreign policy instrument to support EU external action in a context of multilevel change and crisis; its policy dimension as a gradually separated, but not separable policy within the Union’s external action; the institutional component given the emergence of SPs as a sort of self-preserving institutional platform allowing for denser and deeper cooperation in various policy areas; and the implications for the EU’s self-conception as an international actor with a global identity and role. Contents Notes on Contributors Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introducing the European Union’s Strategic Partnerships: Global Diplomacy in a Contested World The Strategic Partnerships Within the Field of European Foreign Policy Focus and Content of the Volume References Part I Strategic Partnerships in the European Union’s Diplomatic Practice: Evolution and Analysis 2 Strategic Partnerships in European Union External Action: Evolution and Analysis of a Developing Policy Instrument Introduction The European Union’s Strategic Partnerships: From the European Strategic Security Strategy to the Global Strategy and Beyond Strategic Partnerships in Time of Crisis Analysing Strategic Partnerships: Logics and Images Logics Images Themes, Frameworks and Theories Conclusions References 3 Institutional Perspectives on the EU’s Strategic Partnerships: Where Is the Focus and Authority? Introduction A Lack of Overarching Goal Formulation for EU Strategic Partnerships Diverging Frameworks—A Plethora of ‘Strategic Partnerships’ Institutional Complexity and EU Strategic Partnerships Conclusion References 4 Soft Power in the European Union’s Strategic Partnership Diplomacy: The Erasmus Plus Programme Introduction The Erasmus+ Programme and the EU’s Soft Power Operation in the World The Erasmus+ Programme and Strategic Partnerships: The Cases of Brazil and Russia Brazil Russia Conclusion References Part II The Transatlantic Partners: The United States and Canada 5 The European Union and the United States: Competition, Convergence and Crisis in a Strategic Relationship Introduction After the Cold War: Building a Strategic Partnership? The Anatomy of a Transatlantic Crisis: 2001–2009 A More Strategic Relationship? 2009–2017 Crisis and Breakdown: 2016–2020 Conclusions: A Strategic Relationship, But Not a Strategic Partnership? References 6 The EU-Canada Strategic Partnership: Challenges and Opportunities Introduction What Is the Canada-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement? a Review of the Literature on the Canada-EU Relations Evaluating the Strategic Partnership Conclusion References Part III Strategic Partnerships with the BRICS 7 European Union-Brazil Relations: A Strategic Partnership in Suspended Animation Introduction The Short History of the EU-Brazil Strategic Partnership: Key Motivations, Major Themes, Policy Areas and the Institutional Dimension Crises as the Order of the Day: The European Union and Brazil Under Stress 2015–2020: Five Years, Five Missed Opportunities for Revamping Bilateral Cooperation Conclusion References 8 The End of Ambiguity: Excavating the Remains of the EU–Russia ‘Strategic Partnership’ Introduction From an Unambiguous Starting Point to ‘the Proliferation of the Fuzzy’ The Internal EU and Russian Logics and Dynamics The EU–Russia Strategic Partnership in a Triangular Setting Conclusions References 9 The European Union and India: A Reluctant Partnership Between Aspiring Global Powers Introduction Process Tracing the EU-India Strategic Partnership The ‘Lost’ Decade of the 1990s The 1999 Transformation: A Coincidental Juncture Post-1999 Relations: Struggling to Define the Strategic Partnership Conclusion Bibliography 10 The European Union and China: Partnership in Changing Times Introduction The European Union and China: From Non-Relationship to ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ The EU, China and the Return of Great Power Geopolitics The EU, China and Asia: Beyond ‘China First’ Global Challenges: Sino-European Convergence or Divergence? Conclusion References 11 The European Union-South Africa Strategic Partnership: Aligning Interests in a Multi-Layered Environment Introduction Contexts South Africa as a Strategic Partner The Regional Dimension The Strategic Partnership in the Doldrums Conclusion References Part IV Reaching Out for Strategic Partnerships Beyond the BRICS 12 The EU and Mexico: The Strategic Partnership in the Context of the Global Agreement Introduction Pragmatism and Adaptation Strategic Partnership: A Political Framework Institutional Dimension: The Global Agreement and the Strategic Partnership Conclusions References 13 The EU’s Strategic Partnerships with Japan and South Korea: A Comparative Analysis of the Drivers, Outcomes and Limitations Introduction Drivers of “Strategising” The EU, Japan and ROK: A Comparison of Critical Drivers Japan: Strategic Considerations ROK: Strategic Considerations From Cooperation to Strategic Partnership The EU-Japan Case: Evolution and the Role of Conjuncture The EU-ROK Case: A Matter of Strategic Choice and Negotiation Agreements: Significance and Limitations Significance of the Strategic Partnerships Limitations of the Strategic Partnerships Conclusions References 14 Conclusions: The Rise and Fall of an Idea The Globalisation of Partnership Diplomacy Europe’s Way: Partnering Without Pattern Assessing the EU’s Strategic Partnerships References Index