(-) = European integration, European Commission, European Council, security, defense, historical institutionalism, critical junctures, path dependence, windows of opportunity, EU institutional power dynamics
Decisions over the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) in the EU have been historically confined to the European Council and thus the European member states (EU MS). Nonetheless, the European...Show moreDecisions over the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) in the EU have been historically confined to the European Council and thus the European member states (EU MS). Nonetheless, the European Commission (EC) finds itself increasingly involved in security and defense policy integration. This gradual yet certain shifting of power from the intergovernmental to supranational level within the EU's CSDP remains a gap in the literature. So far, the literature has acknowledged the relevant role of the European Commission in the integration of "low politics" policy areas like trade. However, it has neglected the role of the European Commission in "high politics" policy areas like security and defense. This paper investigates the research question: to what extent is the European Commission a relevant actor in EU security and defense integration? The paper argues for an increasingly relevant position of the European Commission, particularly within the EU's security policy integration. Specifically, this paper adopts a historical neo-institutionalist theory, process tracing methodology, and an interpretivist approach. It bases its analysis of the CSDP's developments on a longitudinal case study design from 2009 to today. It concludes that the EC is a relevant actor in the EU's security policy integration but not yet one for the EU's defense policy integration.Show less
