Europe's Foreign Policy and the Middle East Peace Process: The Construction of EU Actorness in Conflict Resolution

Abstract

Abstract Relying on the ‘EU actorness’ framework, this article examines the relationship between the EU's evolving institutional capacity as an international actor and its performance as an external mediator in the Arab–Israeli conflict. It shows that the EU's actorness has progressed in terms of diplomatic ‘cohesion’, enhanced ‘horizontal coordination’ between CFSP and the EU's external economic relations, and the ‘surpanationalisation’ of EU foreign policy-making. On the whole, the strengthening of its actor capacity also allowed the EU to progressively expand its activities in conflict resolution, conflict prevention and conflict management. Still, important shortcomings in Europe's conflict resolution policy have remained and the EU finds it difficult to realize its full potential as an external mediator.