‘Backseat Driving’: European institutions and crisis management in Moldova
‘Backseat Driving’: European institutions and crisis management in Moldova

Summary/Abstract: In discussing the international relations of the European Union, it has been suggested that the European Commission is the ‘backseat driver’ of European foreign policy, while the intergovernmental Council plays the primary role. This paper argues that the crossover between competencies is a result of functional ‘spillover,’ particularly as regards the EU’s relations with Moldova. This case study examines the different foreign policy instruments used by both institutions, focusing particularly on the EU’s relationship with Moldova in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) in the disputed Transnistrian region.

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