Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the future of the EU as a security actor

Fifteen years after its inception, CSDP, originally ESPD – European Security and Defence Policy, is once again on the top of the EU’s agenda. The interest in the policy was reinvigorated by the then President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, who initiated the process of its revision in 2013. The constantly changing security environment in which the EU operates ensured that CSDP remained among the EU’s priorities even after the Heads of State and Government of the EU discussed the progress (and lack thereof) on the common actions in security and defence in the middle of 2015. The meeting on 25-26 of June 2015 was dedicated to the review of reports, released by the High Representative/ Vice President of the Commission and Head of the European Defence Agency on the work done to enhance CSDP in the aftermath of the December 2013 European Council and proposals for its further improvement. As a result, the European Council committed to continue working towards a more effective, visible and result-oriented CSDP, while furthering the development of both civilian and military capabilities and strengthening the EU’s defence industry and set a new ambitious goal for the High Representative – to prepare an EU global strategy on foreign and security policy by June 2016. Taking into account the importance attached to CSDP in the policy circles, the proposed paper will offer a topical overview of the policy from an academic perspective and assess prospects for its future development. The paper will consist of three main parts. Part one will analyse how CSDP has evolved over a relatively short, but rather eventful, period of its existence. It will look at the changes it underwent and brought about in the EU’s security framework, as well as evaluate the role the policy played in the process of the EU emerging as a regional and global security actor. Part two will investigate the practical implementation of CSDP on the example of CSDP missions in the Balkans. As the region which gave an impetus for the policy’s initiation, the Balkans is exceptionally well-placed for the study of successes, advantages and drawbacks of CSDP. In particular, the paper will analyse CSPD missions deployed in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (EUFOR Concordia, EUPOL Proxima, EUPAT), in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU Police Mission, EUFOR Althea) and in Kosovo (EULEX). Part three of the paper on the basis of theoretical and practical considerations will look at the new objectives and goals CSDP is set to achieve in view of the current security situation within and outside the EU. Special attention will be paid to the defence component of the policy and the possibility of CSDP moving towards a supranational character in the near future. In general, the proposed paper will contribute to the study of the EU as a security actor and make an input into improving the understanding of its security identity.