Conclusion: learning and contestation in EU foreign and security policy

Abstract

The concluding chapter reviews the findings of the investigation into the emergence of communities of practice in EU foreign and security policy. Among the most important findings of this book is the way in which learning has contributed to establish a repertoire of practices which assist practitioners to navigate the formal and informal rules and ways of working which make the everyday making of EU foreign and security policy possible. In particular, the case studies reveal a high degree of awareness on the level of the individual and the group, along with a strong willingness to adapt and develop diplomatic practices in order to make EU foreign and security policy work. This practical knowledge along with a shared sense of competent performance as a diplomat contribute to overcome dissent in the various venues and bodies of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU.