The European Union: a comprehensive
provider of security
EU humanitarian Aid office/ copyright
Learning Objectives:
On completion of this elective you should be able to:
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the EU’s
Global Strategy
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the EU´s
comprehensive approach to international crisis
and conflict management
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the key
issues of the Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and
Defence Policy (CSDP)
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the key
challenges of the European Neighborhood
Policy (ENP)
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the
EU as a comprehensive provider of security.
Introduction:
The European Union (EU) has become one of the
most important actors in international politics.
Nevertheless, the EU has gone through hard times
during the Euro crisis, the Ukraine crisis, the refugee
crisis, and the BREXIT. These crises have challenged
the concept of European integration – internally and
externally. The results of the European elections in
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PROGRAM ON APPLIED SECURITY STUDIES (PASS 19-18)
PASS Elective
May 2019 have shown the increasing complexity of
European politics.
The EU is considered one of the most reliable security
providers in the world. With its comprehensive
approach to international crisis and conflict
management, the EU has established a solid basis for
a prominent role in international conflict resolution
which is often underestimated.
How does the EU serve as a comprehensive provider
for regional and global security? What are the
particular patterns of the EU as an international
actor? What are the strategic goals of the EU on the
global stage? What is the project of a “Security Union”
is about and how can it improve the European Union
as a comprehensive security provider?
This elective seminar focuses on understanding the
complex structure and policymaking within the EU
regarding security. The seminar will analyze the
making of the EU´s Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CSFP), the Common Security and Defense
Policy (CSDP), EU crisis management and the
European Neighborhood Policy (ENP).
Session 1: EU´s global strategy 2016
The first session is devoted to the EU´s global
strategy. We will discuss goals, means, and ends of
the European Union as well as its relations to other
key players on the global stage. The political concept
of “principled pragmatism” and the EU´s
comprehensive approach to security will be analyzed.
Required Reading:
A global strategy for the European Union’s foreign
and security policy, 29 June 2016:
https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUIS
SFiles/EUGS_0.pdf
Recommended Reading:
Jean Claude Juncker, The state of the European
Union, Address to the European Parliament
September 2018, Brussels 2018
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-
political/files/soteu2018-speech_en_0.pdf
Sven Biscop, The EU Global Strategy 2020, Egmont
Security Policy Brief No. 108, March 2019
The European Union: a comprehensive
provider of security
http://www.egmontinstitute.be/content/uploads/2
019/03/SPB108.pdf?type=pdf
Sven Biscop, Analysing the EU global strategy on
foreign and security policy, in: European Security
and Defence College (ESDC), Handbook CSDP,
3rd edition, Vienna 2017, pp. 28-34.
https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/handbook
_on_csdp_-_3rd_edition_-
_jochen_rehrl_federica_mogherini.pdf
EEAS, From shared vision to common action –
implementing the EU global strategy – Year 1
report
http://europa.eu/globalstrategy/en/vision-action
EEAS, EU global strategy, dossier
http://europa.eu/globalstrategy/en
Mark Leonard / Jeremy Shapiro, Empowering EU
member states with strategic sovereignty, ECFR,
June 2019
https://www.ecfr.eu/page/-
/1_Empowering_EU_member_states_with_strate
gic_sovereignty.pdf
Session 2: External relations of the European Union
– complexity and complementarity
This session is devoted to the very complex structure
and decision-making process of EU´s external
relations, where Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence
Policy (CSDP) are only one element among others.
The relationship between EU institutions and EU
members is a key issue that we will address and
analysis.
Required Reading:
External Action of the European Union, in: ESDC (ed)
Handbook CSDP, 2nd edition, Brussels 2013, pp.
27-54
http://www.eeas.europa.eu/csdp/structures-
instruments-agencies/european-security-
defence-
college/pdf/handbook/handbook_csdp_2_auflag
e-revised.pdf
Susi Dennison / Mark Leonard / Pawel Zerka, How to
govern a fragmented EU: What Europeans said at
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the ballot box, ECFR Report / 287, June 2019
https://www.ecfr.eu/page/-
/how_to_govern_a_fragmented_eu_what_europ
eans_said_at_the_ballot_box.pdf
Recommended Reading:
Josef Janning / Almut Moeller, Untapped Potential:
How new alliances can strengthen the EU,
ECFR – Policy Brief 290, June 2019
https://www.ecfr.eu/page/-
/ECFR_290_Untapped_potential_How_new_allia
nces_can_strengthen_the_EU_-
_double_pages.pdf
Pawel Tokarski / Serafina Funk, Non-euro Countries
in the EU after Brexit, SWP Comment, No. 3,
January 2019
https://www.swp-
berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/comments
/2019C03_tks_Funk.pdf
Session 3: Security and Defence – current issues
Security and Defence gain new momentum due to the
EU´s global strategy but in particular as a result of
BREXIT. Proposals, projects, and ideas of how to re-
energize, reshape and reform Security and Defence
within the EU will be discussed during this session.
Required Reading:
Council of the European Union, Council conclusions
on security and defence in the context of the EU
global strategy
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-
releases/2017/05/18-conclusions-security-
defence/
Joel Coelmont, An EU Security Council and a
European Commissioner for Security and
Defence: The final pieces of the Unionäs
Common Security and Defence Policy Puzzle,
Egmont Security Policy Brief, No. 112, July 2019
http://www.egmontinstitute.be/content/uploads/2
019/07/SPB112.pdf?type=pdf
Markus Kaim / Ronja Kempin, A European Security
Council: Added Value for EU Foreign and
Security Policy? SWP Comment, No. 2, January
2019
The European Union: a comprehensive
provider of security
https://www.swp-
berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/comments
/2019C02_kim_kmp.pdf
Recommended Reading:
Council of the European Union, Implementation Plan
on Security and Defence
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/22460/e
ugs-implementation-plan-st14392en16.pdf
Sophia Besch, EU defence, Brexit, and Trump, CER,
London, December 2016
www.cer.eu/sites/default/files/pb_defence_14dec
16.pdf
Claudia Major / Alicia von Voss, European Defence
in view of Brexit, SWP Berlin, April 2017
https://www.swp-
berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/comments
/2017C10_mjr_vos.pdf
Giovanni Faleg, CSDP after Brexit: a narrow window
of opportunity, November 2016
http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/csdp-
after-brexit-a-narrow-window-of-
opportunity_4231.html
Anne Bakker, Margriet Drent, Dick Zandee,
European Defence: how to engage the UK after
Brexit, Clingendael Report, July 2017
https://www.clingendael.nl/publication/european-
defence-how-engage-uk-after-brexit
Session 4: The Security and Defence Union
The Security and Defence Union with its new
initiatives PESCO, CARD and the European Defence
Fund lies at the very heart of the EU´s efforts towards
improving its capabilities as a security provider.
During the session we will analyse and discuss these
new initiatives in depth.
Required Reading:
Daniel Fiott, EU defence cabability development.
Plans, priorities, projects, ISSUE Brief 6/2018,
https://www.iss.europa.eu/content/eu-defence-
capability-development-%E2%80%93-plans-
priorities-projects
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PROGRAM ON APPLIED SECURITY STUDIES (PASS 19-18)
PASS Elective
Daniel Fiott / Antonio Missiroli / Thierry Tardy,
PESCO: where from and what for? in: Daniel Fiott
et alter: Permanent Structured Cooperation:
what’s in a name? Chaillot paper No. 142 – Nov
2017.
https://www.iss.europa.eu/content/permanent-
structured-cooperation-what%E2%80%99s-
name
Lena Strauss / Nicolas Lux, European Defence –
Debates in and about Poland and France, SWP
Journal Review No. 1, February 2019
https://www.swp-
berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/journal_re
view/2019JR01_lun_sru.pdf
Recommended Reading:
Daniel Fiott et alter: Permanent Structured
Cooperation: what’s in a name? Chaillot paper
No. 142 – Nov 2017.
https://www.iss.europa.eu/content/permanent-
structured-cooperation-what%E2%80%99s-
name
Daniel Fiott, Strategic Autonomy: towards “European
Sovereignty” in Defence? EUISS Brief, 12/ 2018
https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUIS
SFiles/Brief%2012__Strategic%20Autonomy.pdf
Nick Withney, Building Europeans’ capacity to
defend themselves, ECFR, June 2019
https://www.ecfr.eu/page/-
/5_Building_Europeans%E2%80%99_capacity_t
o_defend_themselves.pdf
Session 5: EU´s comprehensive approach to conflict
and crisis management
The comprehensive approach lies at the very heart of
the EU´s efforts towards crisis and conflict
management. The interplay of several actors under
the umbrella of the European External Action Service
and beyond is key for effective crisis and conflict
management. During the session, we will analyse and
discuss the EU´s comprehensive approach in depth.
Required Reading:
European Commission and High Representative of
the European Union for Foreign and Security
The European Union: a comprehensive
provider of security
Policy .2013. JOIN(2013) 30 final, “The EU´s
comprehensive approach to external conflict and
crisis,” December 11,
https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/public-
fragility/document/eus-comprehensive-approach-
external-conflict-and-crises-5
Recommended Reading:
Michaela Simakova, Women in peacebuilding: the
EU and others, Alert No. 3, February 2017
https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUIS
SFiles/Alert_3_Gender_0.pdf
Thierry Tardy, Recasting EU civilian crisis
management, Report, No. 31, March 2017
https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUIS
SFiles/Report_31.pdf
Session 6: European Neighbourhood Policy
In session 6, we examine the European
Neighbourhood Policy. We will discuss the
implications of the EU´s new approach toward the
eastern and the southern neighborhood for regional
stability.
Required Reading:
Mark Leonhard´s World in 30 Minutes: Trouble on
the fringes: how to stabilize Europe´s
neighbourhood (recorded on 21. June 2017)
https://soundcloud.com/ecfr/trouble-on-the-
fringes-how-to-stabilise-europes-neighbourhood
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy / European Commission,
Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/neighbourhood/
pdf/key-documents/151118_joint-
communication_review-of-the-enp_en.pdf
Recommended Reading:
Graeme P. Herd / Ralf Roloff, The New Dynamic in
the East: Conflicts, Vulnerability, and (Dis)Order,
George C. Marshall Center, Security Insights No.
12, January 2016
http://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/MC
Docs/files/College/F_Publications/secInsights/Se
curity_Insights_12.pdf
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PROGRAM ON APPLIED SECURITY STUDIES (PASS 19-18)
PASS Elective
Pal Dunay and Ralf Roloff, Hybrid Threats and
Strengthening Resilience on Europe´s Eastern
Flank, George C. Marshall Center, Security
Insights No. 16, March 2017,
https://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/mc
docs/files/College/F_Publications/secInsights/se
curity_insights_16.pdf
Florence Gaub, Nicu Popescu, The EU neighbours
1995-2015: shades of grey, Chaillot Paper -
No136 – Paris 2015
https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUIS
SFiles/Chaillot_Paper_136.pdf
Roloff, Ralf. Rethinking the European
Neighbourhood Policy, in: PerConcordiam
3/2015, pp.
https://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/MC
Docs/files/College/F_Publications/perConcordia
m/pC_V6N3_en.pdf
Tobias Schumacher, Back to the future: The ‘New”
ENP towards the Southern Neighbourhood and
the End of Ambition, College of Europe Policy
Brief CEPOB #1.16, Bruge January 2016
https://www.coleurope.eu/research/publications/c
epob-college-europe-policy-brief-series
Valentina Caracci, Ralf Roloff, Crisis prevention and
crisis response on Europe´s southern flank,
George C. Marshall Center, Security Insights
No.20, August 2017
https://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/en/
nav-fix-sec-insights/2256-art-pubs-sec-insights-
20-full-en.html
Session 7: The future of Europe – towards a
“Security Union”?
The final session deals with the EU´s recently
launched White paper on the future of Europe. We will
discuss the potential, shortfalls, benefits, and risks of
the so-called “differentiated integration” after Brexit.
We will discuss the prospects of a “Security Union”
and what it really means for the EU and its member
states. The session provides a good opportunity to
summarize the discussions on the EU as a
comprehensive security provider
The European Union: a comprehensive
provider of security PASS Elective

Required Reading:
EU Commission, White paper on the future of
Europe, Brussels, March 2017
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/white-paper-
future-europe_en
EU Commission, Reflection paper on the future of
European defence, Brussels, June 2017
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publications/refl
ection-paper-future-european-defence_en
Emmanuel Macron, Sorbonne Speech September
27, 2017
http://international.blogs.ouest-
france.fr/archive/2017/09/29/macron-sorbonne-
verbatim-europe-18583.html
Recommended Reading:
Mark Leonhard´s world in 30 Minutes, Discussing EU
integration with Alexander Stubb (recorded on 16
February 2017)
https://soundcloud.com/ecfr/discussing-eu-
integration-with-alexander-stubb
ECFR papers on strategy and sovereignty

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PROGRAM ON APPLIED SECURITY STUDIES (PASS 19-18)