This groundbreaking new textbook offers extensive coverage of EU External Action studies, from its major concepts to the key theories in the field. Over the past decades, the European Union has progressively developed into a significant global actor in an increasing number of policy fields. This long-awaited volume looks into different ways of conceptualizing the EU as a global actor, the processes and impact of EU external action, explanations offered by IR and integration theories, the discursive, normative, practice and gender 'turns', and the 'decentring agenda' for EU external action. The book offers a reader-friendly guidance on these various ways in which to study the EU as a global actor: each chapter introduces one concept, approach or theory and illustrates its application by a case study of EU external action. In drawing the different perspectives together, the book underscores that 'EU External Action Studies' is becoming an academic speciality in its own right. Written by leading experts, the volume will make essential reading for students, scholars and practitioners of EU external action. EU External Action Studies nowadays attract attention from scholars and students in International Relations (IR), Foreign Policy Analysis and (interdisciplinary) EU Studies, as well as from practitioners.

This edited volume provides a timely analysis of the European Union's 'privileged' partnerships with neighbouring countries, identifying key points of comparison. It analyses which policy areas are covered and why, the reasons why a specific institutional arrangement has been chosen, the major advantages and shortcomings for both sides and how effectively the privileged partnerships have worked in practice. Drawing on a number of case studies, the book highlights critical junctures and path dependence in the EU's external relations and examines what general lessons can be drawn regarding privileged partnerships, in particular with a view to the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners in EU affairs, European politics, diplomacy studies, and more broadly to international relations and law.

Should the European Neighbourhood Policy stop at the borders of the European Union's immediate neighbouring countries? This book is the first full length study of the 'neighbours of the EU's neighbours', a concept originally introduced by the European Commission with reference to Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. These regions in the EU's broader neighbourhood are often perceived as an 'arc of crisis' from which manifold challenges emanate for Europe. This timely book takes stock of the state of the EU's cooperation with the neighbours of its neighbours and explores how the concept might help promote security, stability and prosperity beyond the countries which are formally part of the European Neighbourhood Policy. How can the EU create bridges between these regions? What instruments does the EU have at its disposal and how can it link them in order to respond to the challenges and overcome the current fragmentation? One of the conclusions is the suggestion to consider a pragmatic 'EU Strategy for the Neighbours of its Neighbours' which addresses the needs of the broader EU neighbourhood in a more systematic and consistent manner and helps transform in the long run the 'arc of crisis' into another 'ring of friends'.

In recent decades, the external action of the European Union (EU) has been undergoing considerable change. An expansion of the EU's external policy portfolio can be observed in many areas as previous policies for internal purposes - such as competition, energy, the environment, justice and home affairs or monetary governance but also gender, science, culture or higher education - have developed external dimensions. This book addresses the EU's potential to become a more joined-up global actor in its external engagement. It uses a single and innovative analytical framework to examine three clusters of policies: EU internal sectoral and cross-cutting policies with long-standing external engagement, those which have been undergoing considerable change, and originally internal policies whose external dimensions are comparatively more recent. It identifies key explanatory factors for the emergence of (certain forms of) EU external engagement and identifies patterns of the evolving relations between EU internal and external sectoral policies. As such, the book examines and assesses exciting new empirical and theoretical research avenues into European integration studies and offers insights into the extent to which the EU may be considered a more joined-up global actor developing sectoral diplomacies. This text will be of key interest to scholars and students as well as practitioners in the fields of European Union politics, European Union foreign policy, European Politics, diplomacy studies, and more broadly law and international relations.

Over the past decade the European Union (EU) has gradually developed the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) with its neighbours. At the same time, the 'neighbours of the EU's neighbours' have presented new challenges. This book addresses the EU's broader neighbourhood, comprising of the ENP countries and the neighbours of its neighbours. With specific focus on Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, it discusses trans-regional policy issues that arise from the EU's relations with regions beyond the ENP. Based on an interdisciplinary, policy-oriented approach, this volume explores major political, legal, security and socio-economic challenges and identifies opportunities for cooperation across the EU's broader neighbourhood. This book will be of interest to students, experts and scholars interested in EU affairs and politics, international relations, EU and international law, diplomacy and area studies.

Despite growing scholarly interest in the EU's flagship policy towards its Eastern and Southern neighbours, serious attempts at theory-building on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) have been largely absent from the academic debate. This book aims at contributing to fill this research gap in a three-fold manner: first and foremost it aims at theorizing the ENP as such, explaining the origins, development and effectiveness of this policy. Building on this effort, it also pursues the broader objective of addressing certain shortcomings in EU external relations theory, and even beyond, in International Relations theory. Finally, it aspires to provide new insights for European policy-makers. It is one of the first volumes to provide different theoretical perspectives on the ENP by revisiting and building bridges between mainstream and critical theories, stimulating academic and policy debates and thus setting a novel, less EU-centric research agenda. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners in EU external relations, EU foreign policy, the European Neighbourhood Policy, and more broadly in European Union Politics and International Relations.

In recent decades, the external action of the European Union (EU) has been undergoing considerable change. An expansion of the EU's external policy portfolio can be observed in many areas as previous policies for internal purposes - such as competition, energy, the environment, justice and home affairs or monetary governance but also gender, science, culture or higher education - have developed external dimensions. This book addresses the EU's potential to become a more joined-up global actor in its external engagement. It uses a single and innovative analytical framework to examine three clusters of policies: EU internal sectoral and cross-cutting policies with long-standing external engagement, those which have been undergoing considerable change, and originally internal policies whose external dimensions are comparatively more recent. It identifies key explanatory factors for the emergence of (certain forms of) EU external engagement and identifies patterns of the evolving relations between EU internal and external sectoral policies. As such, the book examines and assesses exciting new empirical and theoretical research avenues into European integration studies and offers insights into the extent to which the EU may be considered a more joined-up global actor developing sectoral diplomacies. This text will be of key interest to scholars and students as well as practitioners in the fields of European Union politics, European Union foreign policy, European Politics, diplomacy studies, and more broadly law and international relations.

Over the past decade the European Union (EU) has gradually developed the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) with its neighbours. At the same time, the 'neighbours of the EU's neighbours' have presented new challenges. This book addresses the EU's broader neighbourhood, comprising of the ENP countries and the neighbours of its neighbours. With specific focus on Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, it discusses trans-regional policy issues that arise from the EU's relations with regions beyond the ENP. Based on an interdisciplinary, policy-oriented approach, this volume explores major political, legal, security and socio-economic challenges and identifies opportunities for cooperation across the EU's broader neighbourhood. This book will be of interest to students, experts and scholars interested in EU affairs and politics, international relations, EU and international law, diplomacy and area studies.

Should the European Neighbourhood Policy stop at the borders of the European Union's immediate neighbouring countries? This book is the first full length study of the 'neighbours of the EU's neighbours', a concept originally introduced by the European Commission with reference to Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. These regions in the EU's broader neighbourhood are often perceived as an 'arc of crisis' from which manifold challenges emanate for Europe. This timely book takes stock of the state of the EU's cooperation with the neighbours of its neighbours and explores how the concept might help promote security, stability and prosperity beyond the countries which are formally part of the European Neighbourhood Policy. How can the EU create bridges between these regions? What instruments does the EU have at its disposal and how can it link them in order to respond to the challenges and overcome the current fragmentation? One of the conclusions is the suggestion to consider a pragmatic 'EU Strategy for the Neighbours of its Neighbours' which addresses the needs of the broader EU neighbourhood in a more systematic and consistent manner and helps transform in the long run the 'arc of crisis' into another 'ring of friends'.

This edited volume provides a timely analysis of the European Union's 'privileged' partnerships with neighbouring countries, identifying key points of comparison. It analyses which policy areas are covered and why, the reasons why a specific institutional arrangement has been chosen, the major advantages and shortcomings for both sides and how effectively the privileged partnerships have worked in practice. Drawing on a number of case studies, the book highlights critical junctures and path dependence in the EU's external relations and examines what general lessons can be drawn regarding privileged partnerships, in particular with a view to the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners in EU affairs, European politics, diplomacy studies, and more broadly to international relations and law.

Despite growing scholarly interest in the EU's flagship policy towards its Eastern and Southern neighbours, serious attempts at theory-building on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) have been largely absent from the academic debate. This book aims at contributing to fill this research gap in a three-fold manner: first and foremost it aims at theorizing the ENP as such, explaining the origins, development and effectiveness of this policy. Building on this effort, it also pursues the broader objective of addressing certain shortcomings in EU external relations theory, and even beyond, in International Relations theory. Finally, it aspires to provide new insights for European policy-makers. It is one of the first volumes to provide different theoretical perspectives on the ENP by revisiting and building bridges between mainstream and critical theories, stimulating academic and policy debates and thus setting a novel, less EU-centric research agenda. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners in EU external relations, EU foreign policy, the European Neighbourhood Policy, and more broadly in European Union Politics and International Relations.

This comprehensive and clearly written textbook offers a long-awaited introduction to the trade policy of the European Union, the world's largest trading entity. Gstoehl and De Bievre provide a comprehensive assessment of the common commercial policy, its relationship with other policies, like development policy, and of the EU's multi-level policy-making and international bargaining in this area. As well as providing a broad overview of the nature and development of the EU's trade policy, the authors analyse how relevant institutions and decision-making processes are organized and how this set-up fosters particular policy outcomes. Gstoehl and De Bievre show how the thorough and critical study of EU trade policy can be conducted from an interdisciplinary viewpoint, enabling the student to tackle the ever-evolving political, economic, and legal questions that arise. Given the accessible writing, this book is recommended for both undergraduate and Master's students studying the EU and Europe in their Politics, International Relations, Economics or Law degrees, as well as those focusing on international trade policy.

This comprehensive and clearly written textbook offers a long-awaited introduction to the trade policy of the European Union, the world's largest trading entity. Gstoehl and De Bievre provide a comprehensive assessment of the common commercial policy, its relationship with other policies, like development policy, and of the EU's multi-level policy-making and international bargaining in this area. As well as providing a broad overview of the nature and development of the EU's trade policy, the authors analyse how relevant institutions and decision-making processes are organized and how this set-up fosters particular policy outcomes. Gstoehl and De Bievre show how the thorough and critical study of EU trade policy can be conducted from an interdisciplinary viewpoint, enabling the student to tackle the ever-evolving political, economic, and legal questions that arise. Given the accessible writing, this book is recommended for both undergraduate and Master's students studying the EU and Europe in their Politics, International Relations, Economics or Law degrees, as well as those focusing on international trade policy.