The constitutional and historical relevance of the AFSJ and the CFSP/ESDP

Abstract:

The historical development and legislative framework of, on the one hand, the area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) and the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) on the other reflect essential components of a security-identity continuum in the EU. The author of this analysis argues that these components exist in the form of a specific attitude of the EU to the global scene, illustrated by the EU’s attempts to export its own values.

By giving examples he shows that the areas are intertwined in a way which is rarely reflected in the literature but which is important to be aware of for the sake of understanding the functioning and self-representation of the EU.