Towards a EU Security Policy towards China? The Impact of the Lisbon Treaty: The EEAS and European Elites

This paper aims to analyse the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the shaping of a EU security posture towards China. Did the implementation of the new Treaty have positive effects on promoting the strategic thinking among the EU? In which way? Through which instruments? Through an extensive field research among 'European elites' defined as EU officers and representatives with a deep knowledge on China, this paper shows that the Lisbon Treaty, and in particular the set-up of the EEAS, created a window of opportunities for moving forward the EU security agenda on China. Whether it does not want to assess the results of such a process, it highlights the attempts to fill the strategic gap on such an important issue as well as overcome the shortage of the intergovernmental nature of the EU CFSP. The role that European elites played was crucial as they reflect the development of a European bureaucracy, which operates and defends EU interests over national interests. The pursuit of a common purpose, serving the EU and its interests, mirrors the belief to belong to a supranational corps which transcends the EU Member states while at the same time defending and representing their interests. Although the nature of the CFSP remains intergovernmental, this paper points out that the Lisbon Treaty, especially its implementation process, proved to be the occasion to push the limits of the then existing institutional provisions, at least on the EU approach towards the rise of China.