Common Security and Defense Policy and Kosovo: A critical analysis of the EULEX Mission
Common Security and Defense Policy and Kosovo: A critical analysis of the EULEX Mission

Summary/Abstract: After the fall of the communist regime in Eastern and Central Europe, a new geopolitical context was created on the European continent and beyond. These changes had important implications for the security and foreign policy dimension of the EU. The political turmoil that erupted in the former communist countries in the early ‘90s and especially the wars in the former Yugoslavia that began in 1991 highlighted the EU's lack of capabilities to respond to crisis management situations either in its own backyard or in other parts of the world. This was reaffirmed during the Kosovo war in 1998-99, where the EU failed to play any major role in resolving the conflict. Because of changes in the geopolitical landscape in its neighborhood and beyond, the EU began to increase its efforts to empower the foreign and security policy. In this regard, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) - which is the subject of study in this paper - is of great significance. This is because EULEX is the largest civilian mission ever launched under Common Security and Defense Policy of the European Union, and is therefore an important exam through which the EU's capabilities in implementing these policies on the ground are tested. Analytical discussion takes place through a mixed methodology where both qualitative and quantitative methods are combined. The study highlights that the EULEX mission has faced significant challenges in terms of efficiency and public image, concluding that the lessons learned from the EULEX mission’s work will serve as a valuable experience that can help the EU in its efforts to strengthen the Common Security and Defense Policy further.

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