Identifying the EU's foreign and security policy roles

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to find out which roles the EU has assigned to itself as a foreign and security actor (role conceptions) over recent years by using content analysis method. The foreign and security policy role conceptions of the EU will be identified by analyzing the content of the general foreign policy speeches delivered by the principal EU foreign policy officials and the EU official documents concerning foreign and security policy of the EU during the years extending from 2001 to 2007. As a result of content analysis, seven role conceptions have been identified: ‘force for good’, ‘force for international peace, security and stability’, ‘promoter of values and norms’, ‘developer’, ‘promoter of effective multilateralism’, ‘partner for the UN’ and ‘builder of effective partnership with key actors’.