The external borders of the European Union (EU) are becoming increasingly difficult to delineate as it exports policies to states beyond its own membership. While the EU possesses a clearly defined membership, its borders are `fuzzy'. The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of these `fuzzy' borders on the EU's neighbours - and its resulting `fuzzy' politics. Two case studies are considered: the Baltic States and the Mediterranean. In each, the authors seek to assess the impact of EU relations with these two regions. Four tentative conclusions are drawn. First, the EU is indeed surrounded by regions that can be regarded as intermediate spaces between the inside and outside of the Union, and these regions have indeed become the targets of significant `policy-export'. Over time, the EU has developed substantial interests and significant influence in what can be called the `near abroad'. Second, the EU does not possess a coherent policy of dealing with this `near abroad'. An uneasy mix of initiatives often contradicts the stated goal of region-to-region relations. Third, EU relations with the two regions actually appear to serve rather opposing functions - simultaneously facilitating enlargement and non-enlargement. Finally, the regional impact of EU policies varies considerably as a consequence of the different geo-political and institutional context in the two regions.
Traditional analyses of the European Union's common foreign and security policy (CFSP) tend to characterize it either as an effete and declaratory expression of lowest common denominator politics, or as a limited framework for median‐interest foreign policy bargaining. Even at a modest empirical level, however, these representations of CFSP fail to convince in view of its development in recent years. This article will argue that a cognitive approach towards the study of CFSP opens up new and crucial vistas for analysis, and offers some striking conclusions on the reciprocal relationship between CFSP and national foreign policies and the transforming capacity of the CFSP vis‐à‐vis national foreign policies, including their ‘Europeanization’.
Developing a novel conceptualization of 'de-Europeanisation', this introduction provides a common theoretical framework to advance our understanding of EU foreign policy-making in times of internal and external challenges. De-Europeanisation relates to situations where EU foreign policy-making runs against the grain of certain Member States' declared values and interests; where Member States are less willing to engage in collective foreign policymaking at the EU-level, prioritising other multilateral frameworks or (unilateral) national actions; and where the results of that policymaking are, on occasion, explicitly undermined by Member State practice. Departing from the understanding that (de) Europeanisation is an overarching 'framework' rather than a theory, authors focus on -and theorize about -different 'drivers', 'elements' and 'dynamics' of de-Europeanisation'. The theoretical framework developed in this introduction provides guidance for the following individual articles, which are mapped against a common understanding of de-Europeanisation and which locate themselves within the overarching conceptual framework. This will allow for a systematic analysis, comparison and evaluation across the different case studies included in this special issue.
In this contribution I showcase my experience of integrating an active learning element in my teaching of EU foreign policy, by experimenting with Problem-Based Learning (PBL). I document how I went about my ambition of adding a PBL aspect to my EU foreign policy course for 86 students, and how my students and I experienced this first attempt. I also illustrate how I took my first experience and student feedback into account to fine-tune my application of PBL, before concluding on the lessons that I took away for integrating an active learning element in my traditional course of EU foreign policy. By sharing my own experience, doubts and critical reflections I aim to contribute to this special issue´s objective to provide honest and hands-on insights and reflection on how this innovation in the learning approach via PBL has been put into practice.
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