Common Foreign and Security Policy: Northern and Eastern Dimensions of the European Union

As a result of the 1995 enlargement, the European Union obtained a new northern flank, creating its border with Russia. Additionally, due to the eastern enlargement, the north-eastern part and its neighboring with the main heir of the Soviet Empire could be anticipated to become even more important. The new situation resulted in a Finnish initiative to create the Northern Dimension of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union and later in similar attempts of Poland to establish the Eastern Dimension. The ND entered and settled in the EU?s policies very fast. In 1997 to 2000 the ND was suggested and fully implemented into the common policies. This rapid development has given rise to a set of questions and new issues. The allocation of interests and their nature seem worth analyzing. Another issue is whether the ND is a real success. Other issues are future scenarios for the ND and Eastern Dimension of the EU, especially important from the perspective of the New Member States. Ukrainian and Moldavian revolutions as well as the ?Byelorussian problem? can be considered as factors accelerating common efforts in the future.

Week 1 Introduction

Week 2 European Integration - Theoretical approach

Week 3 History of European Integration

Week 4 Common Foreign and Security Policy - development and mechanisms

Week 5 Southern Dimension of the EU

Week 6 Collapse of communism, 1995 enlargement of the EU and their consequences

Week 7 Development of Northern Dimension and its evaluation

Week 8 Eastern Enlargement of the EU

Week 9 Eastern Dimension projects

Week 10 Wider Europe Concept European Neighborhood Policy

Week 11 Candidate and non-candidate countries in Eastern Europe

Week 12 Conclusions

Week 13 Three last meetings are for consultations

Week 14 Consultations

Week 15 Consultations

Smith Michael E., Europe's Foreign and Security Policy. The Institutionalizationof Cooperation, Cambridge University Press 2005;

The New North Europe . Perspectives on Northern Dimension, ed. by Lassi Heininen and Jyrki Käkönen, Tampere Peace Research Institute Research Report No. 80, Tampere 1998;

The Northern EU. National Views on the Emerging Security Dimension, ed. by Gianni Bonvicini, Tapani Vaahtoranta and Wolfgang Wessels, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Kauhava 2000.

Requirements for this course are class participation (50%) and a written assignment (50%). Students will come to class well prepared, i.e. having thoughtfully read the assigned material, and will participate in the discussion. You will be asked to facilitate discussion, to raise problems, react to question, and critique. Any documentary presentation should be followed by a review of 1-2 pages due for the next meeting. The final assignment is a paper (ca. 10 pages, 12 cpi, double spaces) on one of the topics listed or a topic of special interest of a student that is related to the class themes and negotiated with the instructor.