An Institutional Analysis of Pillarization

Abstract

The previous two chapters explained the pillarization structure that lies behind foreign policy collaboration in the contemporary European Union, and traced the origins of both CFSP and the pillared framework to the old process of European Political Co-operation (EPC) as transformed by the TEU (1992). As seen, the remainder of the book aims to use examples of one of the policy instruments established under the new CFSP — joint actions — as test cases of pillarization in action. Before turning to the case studies it is, however, essential to clarify what they are intended to demonstrate. This should ideally involve the following: the identification of some central question of academic or practical significance raised by pillarization; the development of alternative theories capable of answering that question; and specification of indicators that would allow us to tell which of the theories is vindicated by the case studies