Strengthening the EU’s peace mediation capacities: Leveraging for peace through new ideas and thinking

Abstract:

The European Union, despite its internal problems and institutional challenges, is becoming increasingly involved in conflict management and peace processes around the world. In itself, the EU is renowned for being a successful peace project.

The Common Foreign and Security Policy framework of the European Union provides a number of instruments to tackle crisis and conflict situations in the world. The usefulness of mediation in this toolbox has recently been recognised and there are currently a number of processes going on to enhance the EU’s capacities in this field — whether they are designed to strengthen EU mediation itself or the EU’s support for this type of third party intervention.

This FIIA Report gives a comprehensive picture of the still quite modest EU peace mediation activities. The contributors examine the prospects and avenues available to the EU. All the writers are, in one way or another, involved with strengthening European mediation capacities. The report gives a short overview of the current EU frame in the field of mediation and dialogue, and discusses the different ways through which to enhance the EU’s capacities in this field.