European Security Post-Libya and Post-Ukraine: In Search of Core Leadership

The paper analyses the future governance of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Unlike other policy areas, the main challenges for CSDP stem from the lack of a core leadership and common purpose rather than from institutional design faults. Alongside, the EU's dysfunctional relationship with NATO has reduced the CSDP to a largely civilian crisis management endeavour in the wider EU neigbourhood. Moving forward, the EU ought to capitalize on sub-regional integration efforts in this field, while maintaining the EU as a whole as the basic reference point and common framework for deeper integration between groups of member states.

Paper produced within the framework of the project "Towards a More United and Effective Europe". Revised version of a paper presented at the IAI-Notre Europe seminar on "European Security after Libya and Ukraine: in search of a core leadership", Paris, 29 April 2014.