Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2005. / Thesis Advisor(s): Donald Abenheim, Hans-Eberhardt Peters. Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-98). Also available online.

Thesis (doctoral)--Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 2004--T.p. verso. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2005. / Thesis Advisor(s): Donald Abenheim, Hans-Eberhard Peters. Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-102). Also available online.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Trier, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 196-221).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--RAND Graduate School, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

The main purpose of this thesis is to provide an understanding of the EU’s approach to peacebuilding in its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations. The thesis explores why EU missions carry out mainly post-conflict peacebuilding tasks and whether the shift towards peacebuilding is about a substantial change of EU norms. The research analyses how peacebuilding in CSDP actions is framed, designed and operationalised through the complex decision- and policy-making processes within the CSDP. In particular, the thesis assesses how the EU’s approach to peacebuilding in the CSDP was influenced by the UN’s conceptualisation of peacebuilding and how the EU has developed its own distinctive approach to peacebuilding. While looking at the examples of civilian missions and military operations in Mali and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the thesis provides insights into the operational dynamics of peacebuilding under the CSDP. The thesis argues that CSDP missions and operations reflect a normative and practical commitment of the EU to international peacebuilding. CSDP actions deployed in post-conflict scenarios follow the logic of liberal peacebuilding strategies while aiming at the stabilisation, reconstruction and building of the institutions of a functioning state, in particular the military, police and justice sectors. The EU pursues its peacebuilding activities under the CSDP in a comprehensive, case-specific and geopolitically strategic way as demonstrated by case studies of Mali and Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the same time, the research reveals that, although the shift towards peacebuilding in CSDP actions has been underpinned by a change of normative approaches, driven by the reform process of the UN peacekeeping, it also reflects the EU’s preferences, pragmatic limits and capability-expectation gaps in crisis management.

A presente pesquisa tem por pano de fundo o debate sobre a legitimidade do processo de integração da Europa, iniciado na década de 1950. Uma das principais expressões desta seara corresponde ao contemporâneo tema das assimetrias entre as expectativas das populações nacionais sobre a condução do processo de integração e o procedimento decisório verificado na praxis comunitária. O variado rol de limitações à ação participativa dos cidadãos no cerne deliberativo da União Europeia é reunido doutrinariamente sob a alcunha de déficit democrático. Mote frequente das análises de Filosofia Política e assunto recorrente dos estudiosos de Relações Internacionais, a existência de um déficit democrático na principal iniciativa de integração regional da Europa encontra escassos trabalhos sedimentados em uma abordagem jurídica. Deste modo, o principal escopo deste estudo é aclarar de que forma o Direito contribuiu para o advento do déficit democrático europeu e como são articuladas, pela via jurídica, as tentativas atuais de combate a este fenômeno. Para tanto, há de se demarcar o referencial teórico utilizado pela pesquisa, essencialmente no tocante a) à possibilidade de se aproximar regionalismo e democracia; b) à influência das teorias da integração no tema de estudo e c) à versão do conceito de democracia eleita no trabalho. Ademais, o arcabouço metodológico empregado para a obtenção dos resultados pretendidos responde, em um primeiro momento, pela análise dos textos originais dos principais tratados da integração europeia seguida por uma abordagem teórico-doutrinária de alguns aspectos da realidade jurídica do bloco. Para honrar suas pretensões, esta pesquisa apresenta uma estrutura tripartite. No capítulo inicial, há o debate sobre o estatuto conceitual do Direito da União Europeia, verdadeira condição para a aferição da hipótese de trabalho proposta. Nele, foram discutidas as vicissitudes atinentes aos problemas da natureza e da autonomia da malha normativa do bloco comunitário da Europa. Visto o panorama teórico do fenômeno jurídico comunitário da marcha europeia, empreendemos um detido exame do conjunto de dispositivos presentes na sequência de documentos fundamentais iniciada pelo Tratado de Paris (1951) e encadeada até o Tratado de Nice (2001). Tal abordagem permitiu reconhecer as principais normas relacionadas ao tratamento da questão democrática no processo de integração. Feita a identificação dos elementos normativos relacionados à questão do déficit democrático, atentamo-nos para o alcance da atuação do Direito neste contexto. Assim, há de se notar as consequências para a base social de um ordenamento jurídico alheio à tradicional estrutura piramidal, os resultados jurídicos da tentativa de afirmação da noção de cidadania europeia e o delineamento da configuração hodierna das iniciativas de aplacar o déficit democrático por meio dos dispositivos do Tratado de Lisboa (2009). Este percurso revela as agruras da legitimidade democrática da União Europeia e o anfótero papel do Direito no contexto referido, fornecendo um importante recurso de depreensão da realidade comunitária para os atores transnacionais contemporâneos. / The background of this study is the debate concerning the legitimacy of the process of integrating Europe that began in the 1950s. One of the main expressions related to this discussion corresponds to the asymmetries between the expectations of national populations on how the process of integration is to be conducted and the decision-making process observed in the community praxis. The various limitations on the participatory action of citizens in the deliberative core of the European Union are doctrinally gathered under the label democratic deficit. A frequent motto in analysis in Political Philosophy and a recurring subject for International Relations researchers, the existence of a democratic deficit within the main initiative for the regional integration of Europe is not much addressed in studies with a legal basis. Therefore, the main scope of this study is to clarify how the field of law has contributed to the advent of the European democratic deficit and how current attempts to fight this phenomenon take place from a legal perspective. Accordingly, the theoretical framework used in this study needs to be delimited in relation to: a) the possibility of approaching regionalism and democracy; b) the influence of theories of integration in the studied subject; and c) the version of the concept of democracy elected at work. Additionally, the methodological framework employed to obtain the desired results responds, first, to the analysis of original texts from the main treaties of the European integration followed by a theoretical-doctrinal approach to some aspects of the blocs legal context. To achieve its goals, this study presents a three-part structure. A debate concerning European Union Law is presented in the opening chapter; a true condition for measuring the studys proposed hypothesis. The vicissitudes concerning the problems related to the nature and autonomy of regulations in the European bloc are discussed. Given the theoretical background of the phenomenon of the juridical community in the European march of democratization, we carefully examine the devices present in the series of key documents initiated in the Treaty of Paris (1951) linked up to the Treaty of Nice (2001). Such an approach enabled the identification of the main standards related to the treatment given to the democratic issue in the integration process. Once the regulatory elements related to the democratic deficit were identified, we focused on the scope of the role played by Law in this context. Therefore, the consequences in social terms of a legal order oblivious to the traditional pyramidal structure and the juridical outcomes of an attempt to claim the notion of European citizenship, as well as the current configuration of initiatives to mitigate the democratic deficit through devices provided in the Treaty of Lisbon (2009), should be noted. This course reveals the hardships of attaining the democratic legitimacy of the European Union and amphoteric role of Law in this context, providing an important tool to understand the context of the community for the contemporary cross-national actors.

M.A. / The aim of this dissertation is to illuminate critically the political implications of Bulgaria’s membership of the European Union (EU) from a domestic perspective. In particular, this research paper will focus on the political implications of Bulgaria’s EU membership with regard to citizenship, identity and the development of Bulgaria’s future relationship with the EU. This research paper will be explained by the theoretical tradition of the multi-level governance approach, which assumes the involvement of multiple levels of governance (supra-national, national and sub-national) in the process of European integration.

The study used the partial equilibrium WITS-SMART Simulation Model to assess the impact of liberalization under the Trade Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) of a free trade area between the EU and South Africa. The findings of the study reveal that total trade effects in South Africa are likely to surge by US$ 1.036 billion with a total welfare valued at US$ 134 million. Dismantling tariffs on all EU goods would be beneficial to consumers through net trade creation. Total trade creation would be US$ 782 million. However, South African producers are likely to contribute a trade diversion of US$ 254 million which has a negative impact on consumer welfare. The country might also experience a revenue loss amounting to US$ 562 million due to the removal of tariffs. On trade, the country’s export and import to the EU is expected to increase by US$ 12.419 million and US$ 1.266 million respectively. To mitigate revenue loss, the country should try to diversify its current tax base.

This work is focused on the issue of the Czech Presidency of the European Union. It deals with the main priorities of the Czech Republic in this function. The priorities in dealing with global financial crisis are the heart of the work. Despite that the actions relating to the financial crisis have already been taken in the EU, there is still a risk of a slowdown in economic growth. The aim of the project is to analyze the ways in which the Czech Republic, as presiding state, will deal with a slowdown or even a decline in economic growth in European region and with the main steps leading to the recovery of financial markets and EU economy. There are specified macroeconomic and structural policies leading to strengthen growth potential of the country. In conclusion, there is evaluated present development in solving the financial crisis and outlined the trend for further development in Europe.