The making of European Union foreign policy : the case of the Palestinians (1969-2009)
This thesis sets out to examine how the EU develops its foreign policy towards the Palestinians, with what objectives, through what mechanisms and with what impact. The thesis draws principally from realist understandings of the EU and its foreign-policy making, arguing that this remains essentially an intergovernmentalist collaboration of self-interested rational nation-states. However, the process of building collective foreign policy making institutions, and socialising within them, and the functioning of those institutions themselves, generates functionalist dynamics as well which results in supranationalist institutions and âmomentsâ when they are predominant over the general intergovernmentalism of the process. As a consequence, decision-making and implementation within the current CFSP, even in the post-Lisbon era, is diffused across different actors and institutions, creating a complex and at times contradictory mechanism which is dominated in the end by intergovernmentalism and the (differences between) member statesâ interests.The thesis shows that when it comes to EU policy towards the Middle East, since the 1970s there have been some very clear shared interests of member states belonging
Banishamsa, Amjad Fouad Abdelaziz
The making of European Union foreign policy : the case of the Palestinians (1969-2009). This thesis sets out to examine how the EU develops its foreign policy towards the Palestinians, with what objectives, through what mechanisms and with what impact. The thesis draws principally from realist understandings of the EU and its foreign-policy making, arguing that this remains essentially an intergovernmentalist collaboration of self-interested rational nation-states. However, the process of building collective foreign policy making institutions, and socialising within them, and the functioning of those institutions themselves, generates functionalist dynamics as well which results in supranationalist institutions and âmomentsâ when they are predominant over the general intergovernmentalism of the process. As a consequence, decision-making and implementation within the current CFSP, even in the post-Lisbon era, is diffused across different actors and institutions, creating a complex and at times contradictory mechanism which is dominated in the end by intergovernmentalism and the (differences between) member statesâ interests.The thesis shows that when it comes to EU policy towards the Middle East, since the 1970s there have been some very clear shared interests of member states belonging
make european_union foreign_policy case set_examine develop foreign_policy towards objective mechanisms impact draw principally realist understanding foreign_policy making argue remains essentially collaboration self interested rational nation states however process build collective foreign_policy making institution socialise within function institution generates functionalist dynamic well institution moment predominant general process consequence decision_making implementation within current even post era diffuse across_different actor institution create complex time contradictory mechanism dominate end difference member_state show come policy_towards middle_east since clear share interest member_state belong