Beyond the Chapter; Enlargement Challenges for CFSP and ESDP

The European Union is about to embark upon an historic enlargement with ten countries due join soon and more thereafter. The accession involves the candidates successfully closing a number of chapters. the specific chapter on the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) was amongst the first to be closed, in part due to the specific intergovermental nature of CFSP. As the title suggests, Beyond the Chapter: Enlargement Challenges for CFSP and ESDP goes beyond the formal accession process to consider a number of interrelated challenges for the EU Member States and the cadidates that will arise as a result of enlargement. The challenges relate to the EU's relations with its "new borders", the institutional adaptations that will be necessary for CFSP to work at 25 (or more), relations with significant third parties (such as Russia and the United States) and organisations (like NATO and the UN). In addition, the specific enlargement-related challenges for the European Security and Defece Policy are considered. It should however be noted that Beyond the Chapter: Enlargement Challenges for CFSP and ESDP does nog dwell exclusively on the challenges since it is acknowledged that there are many benefits that could arise for CFSP from enlargement.