The External Action of the European Union: Concepts, Approaches, Theories

Description

This groundbreaking new textbook offers extensive coverage of EU External Action studies, from its major concepts to the key theories in the field. Over the past decades, the European Union has progressively developed into a significant global actor in an increasing number of policy fields. This long-awaited volume looks into different ways of conceptualizing the EU as a global actor, the processes and impact of EU external action, explanations offered by IR and integration theories, the discursive, normative, practice and gender 'turns', and the 'decentring agenda' for EU external action. The book offers a reader-friendly guidance on these various ways in which to study the EU as a global actor: each chapter introduces one concept, approach or theory and illustrates its application by a case study of EU external action. In drawing the different perspectives together, the book underscores that 'EU External Action Studies' is becoming an academic speciality in its own right. Written by leading experts, the volume will make essential reading for students, scholars and practitioners of EU external action. EU External Action Studies nowadays attract attention from scholars and students in International Relations (IR), Foreign Policy Analysis and (interdisciplinary) EU Studies, as well as from practitioners.

Sieglinde Gstoehl is Director of the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies at the College of Europe in Bruges, where she has been Professor since 2005. Previous appointments include Humboldt University Berlin and the Liechtenstein Institute. Her research interests include EU external action, especially EU trade policy, neighbourhood relations and external representation. Among her recent books are The Proliferation of Privileged Partnerships between the European Union and its Neighbours (ed. with D. Phinnemore, 2019); The Trade Policy of the European Union (with D. De Bievre, 2018); and Theorizing the European Neighbourhood Policy (ed. with S. Schunz, 2017). Simon Schunz is Professor in the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies at the College of Europe, Associate Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS in Bruges and visiting lecturer at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven). His research interests include EU external action with a focus on foreign policy implementation and effects, especially concerning EU external environmental, cultural and science policies, and the EU's relations with major powers. His recent publications include The Evolving Relationship between China, the EU and the USA: A New Global Order? (ed. with J. Men and D. Freeman, 2020) and The European Union's Evolving External Engagement: Towards New Sectoral Diplomacies? (ed. with C. Damro and S. Gstoehl, 2018).

From a narrative of peace on the continent after two world wars to one of the prosperity generated by the single market, the rationale for the European Union today is an exquisitely global one. From trade, energy and climate, to security, defence and the digital domain, Europe strives for autonomy in a world which is ever more complex, connected and contested. Providing indispensable theoretical and empirical lenses to make sense of this journey, this edited volume by Sieglinde Gstoehl and Simon Schunz is a must-read for all students and practitioners of European foreign policy. * Nathalie Tocci, Institute of International Affairs, Italy * Gstoehl and Schunz have assembled a fabulous group of contributors to assess, consolidate and take forward the study of European Union external action. They illustrate the richness of new conceptualisations and theorising about EU external action, and argue for a more systematic combination of various approaches, as well as the exportation of these concepts and approaches to the wider disciplines of International Relations and EU Studies. Essential reading for students and scholars alike. * Karen E. Smith, London School of Economics, UK * Offering a profound and comprehensive overview of conceptual and theoretical approaches, and written by key experts in the field, this volume will be a major reference point for students and scholars interested in the European Union's external action. The book covers not only traditional concepts like actorness and coherence, and familiar theories like neofunctionalism and external governance, but it also engages with innovative perspectives such as the practice turn, global justice, gendering and decentring approaches. * Jan Orbie, University of Ghent, Belgium * This book offers a much-needed update of the study of EU's international actorness, covering the topic from multiple angles and through a diverse range of concepts and theories. It is written by a truly stellar group of authors, which gives each chapter a depth and relevance unusual for its kind. This certainly is a volume of great relevance for all of those interested in knowing more about the EU's role in the world and I would definitely recommend it. * Andre Barrinha, University of Bath, UK * A must-have for every university library and a must read for everyone interested in the global actorness of the European Union. A dedicated academic and research team has contributed to this comprehensive and unique volume, merging traditional and alternative views on the European Union as a foreign affairs actor. In particular, Part V introduces readers to the decentring of the European Union's external action, by applying outside perspectives. * Corina Filipescu, Malmoe University, Sweden * More than fifty years after the inception of the European Political Cooperation, this book delimits the breadth and depth of the growing relevance of External Action of the European Union. Designed as textbook, it will certainly benefit students, academics and practitioners alike - and all those dealing with or interested in the EU's external action. The book traces the historical process, investigates concept-building, theory-formation and eventually sketches out policy implications of the EU with regards to the outside world. In its chapters, highly renowned scholars and experts meticulously and critically assess a field which is of central relevance for the furthering of the European project. The book convincingly situates the External Action of the EU as a nascent field of interest at the interface of International Politics, Foreign Policy Analysis and European Studies. It is a trailblazer! * Stefan Ganzle, University of Agder, Norway * This volume provides a comprehensive stocktaking of the state of the art in research on EU external action, within a well-structured framework and with contributions from many of the leading scholars in the field. It will be of great use to students looking for a sophisticated primer on individual areas of theory with appropriate illustrative case studies. It will also be valuable to scholars working within the area of EU external action, since it sets the parameters for an emerging area of research which is both more extensive and more relevant than narrower studies of 'European foreign policy' or 'external relations'. Altogether an impressive achievement. * Michael H. Smith, University of Warwick, UK * This comprehensive and accessible handbook with contributions from key scholars in the field gives an excellent introduction to the central concepts and theories that have contributed to our understanding of EU external action. The systematic use of case studies is very helpful in showing how different theories and concepts can support our grasp of the Union's role in the world. * Sophie Vanh *