Reshaping the European Union\u27s common foreign security policy through post-War Iraq

Typical analyses of the European Union\u27s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) tend to characterize it through its intergovernmentalist structure and processes. From the time when new initiatives were formed in 1999 under the Amsterdam Treaty which was aimed to improve its capabilities, the study of the CFSP opened up new spheres and crucial areas for analysis, particularly in the field of peace-building.; This research discusses how the intergovernmentalist structure of the EU member states manifested in the CFSP affects EU’s efforts to develop closer cooperation with the US towards the peace-building process of Post-war Iraq. Through content analysis and evaluative studies, this paper aims to prove that it is the very nature of the EU member states™ decision-making processes and their intergovernmentalist structure which limits their efforts and capacity to provide ample humanitarian assistance, implement peace-building activities efficiently and develop stronger cooperation with the US as they respond to the challenges of post-war Iraq. With this in mind, possible reforms are eventually considered and the era of rehabilitation in Iraq (Post-war Iraq) then becomes a venue for the reshaping of the Common Security and Defense Policy of the European Union