Universität zu Köln

Helwig, Niklas (2015). The High Representative of the Union: The constrained agent of Europe’s foreign policy. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

This study argues that the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is a constrained agent of Europe’s foreign policy. The 2009 Lisbon Treaty reform created the remodelled version of the High Representative of the Union as a potentially powerful agent to represent and coordinate Europe’s foreign policy. However, the analysis shows how and why the member states granted only limited discretion to the new foreign policy actor during the first years of the post’s existence. The aim of the study is to reveal the conditions of discretion of the High Representative. With the use of a principal-agent (PA) approach, the study shows that conflicting preferences of the member states, tight control mechanisms, as well as inadequate cooperation with the European Commission limited the High Representative’s room for manoeuvre. The findings suggest that the PA approach can be developed further in the future in order to better explain limited discretion of agents in matters of foreign policy. Based on the findings, the study also puts forward a number of characteristics of a ‘constrained agent’. It is suggested that the post of High Representative has the potential to emancipate from its status of a constrained agent over time, and to gain credibility as a foreign policy actor.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Helwig, Niklas niklas.helwig@googlemail.com UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-63036
Date:	2015
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences
Divisions:	Weitere Institute, Arbeits- und Forschungsgruppen > Department of Political Science and European Affairs
Subjects:	Political science
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language European Union, Common Foreign and Security Policy, High Representative of the Union, European External Action Service, Principal-Agent approach English
Date of oral exam:	8 September 2014
Referee:	Name Academic Title Wessels, Wolfgang Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/6303