European Defense Integration:The Search for Common Ground.

Abstract

While Europe has sought true political unity in some form for at least fifty years, developments in late 1998 and the first half of 1999 have placed integrationists closer than ever to the realization of this dream. The war in Kosovo, which demonstrated Europe's complete dependence on US security capabilities has made the issue a new priority. This Project determines the propensity for creating a viable Common Foreign and Security Policy [CFSP], and the role and impact of such an entity on the world stage. Some traditional challenges, such as British refusal to participate, have been overcome. However, institutional weakness and overlap within the EU, 'internal' problems including the lack of a European polity, and diverging national interests still present large obstacles to the creation of a meaningful CFSP. Should a CFSP come about, it would be further challenged by many external issues, particularly relations with NATO, the US and Russia.