ESDP and challenges for national administrations. The case of Belgium

(An Denise Jacobs, Manchester Metropolitan University)

The operational character of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) not only led to a growing number of Brussels-based foreign policy actors; it has also brought new challenges for national administrations. While in the past the ministries of foreign affairs monopolized CFSP matters, today also ministries of defence, the interior and justice are increasingly involved. Since the EU does not dispose of its own civilian or military capabilities, Member States have to deliver soldiers, police officers and judges implementing the missions. Thus, the success of ESDP crisis management operations is for a large part dependent on coordinated action within the national administrations. Although 'domestic coherence' co-determines the success or failure of EU missions, it has not been studied so far.

This contribution attempts to analyse the challenges that ESDP poses for national administrations. Building on insights of neo-institutionalism and Europeanization, it examines the need for the adaptation of formal and informal institutions and coordination mechanisms. After a stocktaking exercise studying the various organizational challenges, the impact of ESDP on Belgium is examined as a more in-depth case study of how a Member State with barely any tradition in the field of crisis management has handled the new EU demands. The paper aims to be a first important step to the development of an analytical framework that can be used for further comparative research.