Abstract
During the Cold War the European Community lacking common military instruments was perceived as the example of a civilian power. However, in the early 1990s, under the framework of CFSP, the first concrete defence initiatives have been launched. By the end of the 1990s and after the agreement on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) the first Rapid Reaction Forces were on the European military agenda. Such defence and military capabilities challenged the idea of the EU as a civil or civilian power. Thus, a main concern in the paper has been to assess the character and identity of the EU`s activities in the context of international relations. For this purpose, this study has explored the EU policy instruments such as the enlargement policy, external aid, environmental policy at the global level, multilateralism, and the EU armed forces. The study concludes that the enlargement policy accounts for an important EU strategy to shape the international environment through civilian means. Furthermore, the international aid policy of the EU states has primarily been based on the sense of duty to other countries as constructivists point out. The EU has also been vocal and has used environmental foreign policy as an instrument to demonstrate its global leadership role which is a clear indication of its commitment to global welfare. Thanks to its presence in the major multilateral interventions of the last decade, the EU has qualified itself as great supporter of multilateralism. Lastly, the EU military capabilities are not achieved by creating permanent European armed forces but are still based on the voluntary contributions of its member states. Therefore, the EU still can be portrayed as a global civilian power (GCP) or civilian power Europe (CPE).
Highlights
During the Cold War the European Community lacking common military instruments was perceived as the example of a civilian power
Starting with the period of the Cold War, the European Community was portrayed as acivilian powerin international politics since it did not have relevant military capabilities and relied on economic and diplomatic means in order to influence world affairs (Smith, 1998: 67)
Conclusions and Reflections on the Future Given the fact that defence and military topics were a taboo subject in the European Community in the aftermath of rejection of EDC by the French Assembly and facing serious lack of common military capabilities for a long time, the Community was perceived by many scholars as a purely civilian or civil power giving priority to civilian and non-military instruments to military ones regarding the context of international relations
Summary
Without doubt the European Union has become an important actor when it comes to political, economic, and legal questions at the international stage. By the end of the 1990s after the agreement on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) the idea of the civil or civilian power of the EU has come under serious threat Such ambitious agenda was further strengthened during the European Council in 1999, which pointed out that the EU "must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO" (Cologne European Council, 1999). The EU has, for example, been active in very dangerous and troubling countries and regions such as the Sudan (Darfur region), Afghanistan or in Indonesia (Aceh region) (European Union, 2006)
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