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European Centre @ POLIS

Department of Politics and International Studies
 

During a workshop at Robinson College on 13 and 14 December 2018 participants explored new paths for the EU in international security and cooperation after Brexit. The workshop was organised by Geoffrey Edwards, Vlado Kmec and Sebastian Steingass and supported by the DAAD-University of Cambridge Research Hub for German Studies with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO) and by the European Centre @POLIS

Workshop: The EU in international security after Brexit

During a workshop at Robinson College on 13 and 14 December 2018, participants explored new paths for the EU in international security and cooperation after Brexit. The workshop was organised by Geoffrey Edwards, Vlado Kmec and Sebastian Steingass and supported by the DAAD-University of Cambridge Research Hub for German Studies with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO) and by the European Centre @POLIS. The organisers also wish to thank Dr Julie Smith and Robinson College Cambridge for their support.

 

Outline

Concerns about Europe’s security have raised questions about the capability of the European Union as a security actor, both domestically and internationally. The EU has responded through various measures, including the coordination of border management, peacebuilding and development cooperation. At the same time, distrust among member states has surged and Brexit has further contributed to doubts about the EU’s credibility as a relevant security actor. Yet, while Brexit will likely lead to funding cuts in relevant sectors, the UK’s departure is also seen by some as an opportunity for the EU to move towards more integration.

The workshop participants addressed these open questions in research sessions over two days. Central themes were European defence, internal challenges to the cohesion of the EU, the potential securitisation of EU policies and the implications of Brexit for EU security and cooperation policies. We also asked participants to reflect on the role of Germany. Germany has been increasingly called upon to become more involved in the EU’s responses to crises and conflicts as well as to assume more responsibilities. With Brexit, Germany is more than ever expected to reach to new partners for cooperation, especially with Central-Eastern European countries.

The research programme was complemented by a roundtable discussion and two keynote addresses. Participants in the roundtable reflected on recent developments in EU foreign policy and what they imply for European integration. The keynote addresses were open to everyone. Prof Richard Whitman presented an outlook for the future EU-UK relationship in foreign and security policy whereas Prof Karen Smith discussed the implications of Brexit for multilateralism more generally. The programme offered valuable time for networking among the participants, which has been a key objective of this project.

For more information about the DAAD-Cambridge Hub see also here.
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