Adopting a broad conceptualization of foreign and security policy, the book examines the role of the High Representative as chair of the Foreign Affairs Council and in her/his capacity as Vice President of the European Commission to assess different patterns of integrated efforts in EU foreign and security policies. In this way, it presents a new perspective from which institutional practices in this specific area can be examined. This contribution is particularly valuable for scholars and students of EU foreign and security policy; of external relations of the EU; of international relations more in general; and of EU integration and politics. At the same time, the book contributes to the empirical understanding of two EU policies that have recently been at the centre of the debate among scholars, policy analysts and practitioners, namely the EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans and the EU Neighborhood Policy and Eastern Partnership.
"This will serve well both students and scholars of European integration, and practitioners interested in understanding more about EU foreign policy dynamics. ... Amadio Viceré's book is a must-read for all researchers who wish to explore in more depth recent institutional initiatives, such as Mogherini's EU Global Strategy or the establishment of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) by using an original analytical framework that goes beyond the supranational-intergovernmental dichotomy." (Giulia Tercovich, The International Spectator, Vol. 54 (4), 2019)