The external dimension of EU counter-terrorism

Mackenzie, A

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to assess EU actorness in the external dimension of
counter-terrorism. This project is important because it examines a policy area that has
been at the heart of security co-operation within the EU for at least the past decade and
challenges assumptions that the EU does little in the way of external counter-terrorism
action. Since 9/11, the EU has become more involved in counter-terrorism; this has
been recognised particularly by the literature discussing the internal dimension of EU
counter-terrorism, yet academic work on the external dimension of EU counterterrorism
remains scarce. Consequently, the EU can too easily be viewed as an
insignificant counter-terrorism actor. However, this assessment of the EU's external
counter-terrorism policies has been made prematurely, without ascertaining the EU's
ability to act and without taking into account the full range of instruments that the EU
now deploys to combat terrorism. In contrast to the view of the EU as an insignificant
counter-terrorism actor, it will be argued here that EU external action against terrorism
has grown considerably over the last ten years and is now much more significant and
diverse than it was in 2001. In order to understand the external dimension of EU
counter-terrorism, EU actorness will be examined in three case studies: a) the US; b]
Afghanistan and Pakistan; and c) Algeria and Morocco. These case studies are important
because they highlight the diversity and global range of EU counter-terrorism activity.
This project is original because it takes a broad view of EU foreign policy, provides
unique theoretical insights into EU counter-terrorism co-operation through actorness,
and adds new empirical content by exploring EU counter-terrorism co-operation with
some third countries that the existing literature has not yet examined.

Citation

Mackenzie, A. The external dimension of EU counter-terrorism. (Thesis). Salford : : University of Salford,

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2012