The Ashgate Research Companion to the Foreign Policies of Europe

Is Europe a global actor? It all depends on which 'Europe', one means. There is no such thing as a European foreign, security or defence policy, in the sense of a coordinated ensemble of national, EU and NATO initiatives, only European foreign, security and defence policies, pursued by different actors, sometimes in coordination, sometimes alongside each other, sometimes in competition. National sovereignty prevails. Decisions are taken in the capitals and acting through the EU or NATO are just two options in addition to, and no more important than, the national option. The Ashgate Research Companion to the Foreign Policies of Europe starts its analysis then from the national level. Expert contributors consider the interests, policies and impact of the European states across regions, key issues and relationships and consider whether decisions made out of national interest can continue to meet the security, defence, economic and environmental challenges of Europe in the 21st century.