Restoring EU–OSCE Cooperation for Pan-European Conflict Prevention

Abstract

The European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have a long history of cooperation. The agendas of the organizations overlap in the post-Cold War era, particularly in their shared objective of pan-European conflict prevention. Cooperation between the EU and the OSCE has made a significant contribution to European security by preventing conflict and promoting political and economic stability in Southeast Europe. Yet the political crisis of the OSCE is jeopardizing further EU–OSCE cooperation, harming prospects for peace and democracy in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. This article examines the fate of the OSCE and EU–OSCE cooperation since 1989, and assesses the factors limiting the prospects for cooperation and their mutual achievements in conflict prevention. It concludes that, given the EU's foreign policy objectives, it is in its interest to confront the political deadlock between Russia and the United States within the OSCE, by resuming EU partnership with the OSCE, and by forging a proactive and constructive policy towards the Russian Federation. These efforts could contribute to the revival of pan-European security cooperation, and ensure stability and peace in Europe's wider neighbourhood.