Bulletin n. 3/2009
January 2010
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Rieker Pernille
    The EU — A Capable Security Actor? Developing Administrative Capabilities
    in Journal of European Integration , Volume 31, Number 6 / November ,  2009 ,  703-719
    There is a large literature claiming that the EU has become an important international security actor. While this literature focuses on the political will and the ambitions of the EU, there has been less attention paid to the actual capabilities at the disposal for the EU. Any political organization needs some kind of relationship between aspirations and capabilities. If the EU is to be considered as an important security actor, we should also expect a certain degree of administrative capability in this policy area. Increased importance of the EU as a security actor would also imply increased capabilities. This article makes three contributions. First, by drawing upon insights from institutional theory I present a conceptual scheme for analyzing the dynamics of capabilities and assessing distinct configurations of capabilities. Secondly, I make an empirical account of the development of capabilities in the EU in the field of security policy. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion on the relationship between this specific capability configuration in the EU and its role as a security actor.
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