European Security and Defence Policy as a Transatlantic Issue in International Relations

Essay from the year 2007 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict Studies, Security, grade: A, , course: European Integration, language: English, abstract: European Security and Defence Policy has become a key issue in transatlantic relations during the last several years. This paper identifies the problems and challenges which the adoption of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) poses for the future of the transatlantic partnership. It does so by observing historical preconditions for the emergence of ESDP, as well as by analysing the peculiarities of the domestic structures (decision making processes) on both sides of the Atlantic. The author argues that it is not only ESDP itself with its budgetary, planning and military capability challenges, that poses threats to the transatlantic relationship, but also the split between the EU member states over the issue, as well as the policy of the US, characterised by unilateralism and readiness to act relying on military over political means.