Research Papers

In the last decade an increasing number of national officials contributed to formulate, from Brussels, European foreign and defence policy. This regime has been progressively institutionalised; among other things, the number of these officials' meetings, along with their importance, have grown over the years. However, we still know relatively little about the working habits and methods, negotiation practices, and identities of the personnel that formulates the CFSP and CSDP. This paper attempts to partially fill the gap, by analysing the role conceptions held by these diplomats: do they perceive themselves as advocates of national interest; or as contributors of a truly European foreign and defence policy? Moreover, it analyses what factors, if any (socialization processes; previous professional experience; polity; Europeism; power of the state, etc...) explain the variance in national officials' responses. To achieve this aim, the paper relies on an original database of 138 close-ended questionnaires filled out by national officials participating in the committees and parties of the CFSP/CSDP.