Changing EU role conceptions in the 21st century

The European Union has expanded its foreign policy significantly in recent years. It is now widely accepted as an important, albeit unique, international actor. Given the EU’s growing influence on the global scene, this study aims to describe changes in EU role conceptions between 2003 and 2016. Departing in role theory, the study constructs an analytical framework based on ideal types. Mapping EU role conceptions across two dimensions – the EU’s global role and capabilities – enables a thorough examination of changes over time. Looking at the European Security Strategy (2003), the subsequent Report on its Implementation (2008), and the EU Global Strategy (2016), the study finds that EU role conceptions have changed in recent years. EU foreign policy makers have gone from seeing the EU as a Normative Power primarily dependent on civilian instruments, to a traditional great power with an increasing preference for military instruments