The EU and the OSCE: Partners or Rivals in the European Security Architecture?

Since the Lisbon Treaty, the EU's role in foreign and security policy has grown considerably. The European External Action Service (EEAS) is justifiably considered to be the EU's fledgling "foreign ministry" and as such is tasked with managing European foreign and security policy on behalf of both the Union and the Member States. For its part, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) works to ensure its vision of "comprehensive security" is realized not merely in Europe, but in all areas from "Vancouver to Vladivostok." As such, it would appear on the surface that the two institutions are natural partners in promoting a unified vision for European security as part of the European Security Architecture. This paper examines the relationship between the EU and the OSCE, specifically looking at the EEAS and the OSCE's Office on Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and High Commissioner on National Minorities and posits a far more complex picture. The EU and OSCE's relationship is fraught with tension, and actions taken by both institutions in the interests of "European" security ultimately may serve to weaken not merely each institution but also the realization of European security as a whole