European Union\'s Holistic Security Policy in One

¶ … European Union's Holistic Security Policy in One of Its Neighboring Regions

The objective of this study is to critique the European Union's 'holistic security policy' in its neighboring region or that of Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Russian and Belarus and to analyze this region from different perspectives including economic, political, and traditional military power. The European Security Strategy is based upon "a comprehensive or holistic approach to security" and states that the member states and the EU will work cooperatively to address security priorities "in a framework that emphasizes multilateral institutions (specifically the UN and regional organizations) and the rule of law (upholding the principle of the use of force as a last resort)." (Quille, 2004) What this means is that effective multilateralism will address even threats to security such as weapons of mass destruction as well as "proliferation and international terrorism." (Quille, 2004) These types of threats will be handled through strengthening the UN system and its national responses "through EU synergies and by addressing root causes such as poverty and weak governance through community instruments and regional dialogue." (Quille, 2004) The approach of the EU to security has been differentiated from that of the U.S. National Security Strategy due to the fundamental differences. While some U.S. effort is multilateral, these efforts are reported as having been "overshadowed by references to rogue states, military power, and the right of the United States to act unilaterally under a concept of pre-emption." (Quille, 2004) The ESS comes as a response to the changes in the security environment on an international level and which results in a requirement for priorities to be focused on security as it relates to international terrorism and proliferation of WMD. Part of the ESS is stated to be "active engagement…in Europe's security interests since these are affected by poor governance, insecurity, poverty, and conflict far beyond its borders." (Quille, 2004) These challenges will be met "with a range of diplomatic, development, economic, humanitarian, and military instruments." (Quille, 2004) The Union will be addressing a diversity of challenges including poverty, dependence on energy, climate change and bad governance since these things serve to "undermine regional stability and contribute to violent conflict which in turn affects "European interests directly and indirectly." (Quille, 2004) The principles of the ESS are three specific principles including those of: (1) Prevention; (2) A holistic approach; and (3) multilateralism. (Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports of the Republic of Austria, 2010) It is reported that the ESS represents "an important strategic choice" although there is vagueness in the DSS in terms of a lack of consensus on "which tasks or types of operations that the EU can undertake." (Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports of the Republic of Austria, 2010) In addition, "priority regions and scenarios must be defined in relation to Europe's vital interests: where and why should the EU deploy troops and perhaps even go to war?" (Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports of the Republic of Austria, 2010) It is stated that due to the location of the "neighborhood" that it appears as a "clear priority where the EU should not only be active but take the lead." (Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports of the Republic of Austria, 2010) Stated finally, is that there is a need for the EU to make a decision on the "scale of effort" that will be committed to priorities. (Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports of the Republic of Austria, 2010)

It is noted that the ESS is an "emerging system of concepts and sub-strategies" and that strategy is defined as the "art and science of developing, applying, and coordinating all necessary instruments to deal with the relevant security challenges" which must be constructed upon a foundation of "grand strategy and complimenting sub-strategies." (Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports of the Republic of Austria, 2010) The creation of the European External Action Services (EEAS) is reported as formed for enhancing EU foreign policy impact. The CSDP task catalogue is stated to include the Petersburg tasks including "humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping tasks and crisis-management task of combat forces. As well created by the Treaty of Lisbon are the "joint disbarment operations, military advice and assistance tasks, conflict prevention and peace-keeping as well as post-conflict stabilization tasks." (Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports of the Republic of Austria, 2010)

Research is reported in the work of Schimmelfennig to demosntrates the EU political conditionality vis-a-vis the ENP countries has been neither consistent nor effective in the past." (2005) The reason for the lack in consistency is reported to indicate that conditionality has been reduced due to the functional goal conflicts "of improving and institutionalizing relations with the neighboring countries." (2005) Schimmelfennig states that the ENP is formulated upon the commitment of the EU to the promotion of "core liberal values and norms beyond its borders." (2005)

Political conditionality is stated to be the main instrument of promotion a norm and assistance through direct democracy is such that serves to complement political conditionality " as a second instrument. (Schimmelfennig, 2005) It is related that because the European Union has as its basis the fundamental values of respect for "human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights" these are values that member states have in common and that is the method used by the EU in relations "with the wider world" as the EU has goals for protecting these values. The neighbors of the EU are reported to have committed to adhering to principles of fundamental human rights and freedoms and to multilateral treaties as well through their bilateral agreements with the EU. (Schimmelfennig, 2005)

According to Schimmelfennig, the prospects for democracy and promotion of human rights from the view of the EU European Neighborhood Policy, which is lacking a membership perspective for the ENP countries, and which lacks as well political conditionality external incentives for motivating target states to change domestic institutions and policies, does not have a chance for success. Moreover, because the regimes in ENP countries are primarily authoritarian and autocratic in nature it is reported that the "domestic power costs that they would incur by complying with EU standards, are likely to outweigh any incentives that the EU might have to offer them." (2005)