The European Union

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, since its inception, several events have conspired to push the European Union (EU) towards implementing foreign and security policies and military intervention; the ethnic conflicts on the doorstep of Europe in the Balkans and specifically the failures in Bosnia and Kosovo have prompted EU leaders to consider the role of the EU in military and humanitarian concerns. The author points out that, in the war on terror, the American response was 'shock and awe'; whereas, the 'European way of war' includes not only the Petersberg Tasks of peacekeeping and humanitarian aid but also trying to deal with the congeries of economic, political, social and human factors, which, if left unaddressed, can contribute to conflict and to support for terrorism. The paper concludes that the EU's identity as an actor on the world stage, as it has developed over the years, has proven it to be a successful economic and political participant in world affairs and, therefore, has been obliged the EU to take responsibility for international conflict and humanitarian crises in its capacity as a major world actor.

Table of Contents
Bosnia
Kosovo
Macedonia
Congo
The End of the Cold War
The 'War on Terror'
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The massacre at Srebrenica in Bosnia, July 1995 was called 'the worst mass murder in Europe since 1945'. The massacre was the culmination of civil war between Serbs and Muslims, brought about through ethnic rivalries. At the time, the United Nations (UN) was in official command of troops in Bosnia and had designated Srebrenica a safe zone for Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), but the UN troops (under a Dutch commander) found themselves unable to intervene. The troops, called in for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid, were not authorised to engage with the Serbs. While the EU with its newly formed Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) attempted negotiations, it was a case of too little, too late."

More papers on The European Union:

• Book Review # 145645 : "The European Union: Politics and Policies" - A Review"
• Research Paper # 84230 : "Multilevel Governance in the European Union"
• Essay # 71054 : " Turkey and the European Union"
• Essay # 69414 : "Turkey and the European Union"

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