ABSTRACT
The role of the European Union (EU) in international post-conflict state-building is characterised by a curious anomaly. The EU is the largest provider of overseas development assistance, with much of that assistance, since the end of the Cold War, being used in support of post-conflict reconstruction and development initiatives around the globe. The EU also participates in more post-conflict statebuilding operations worldwide than any other regional organisation. And, yet, despite the magnitude of these efforts, the EU does not play a leading strategic role in international post-conflict state-building. There are a number of reasons for this.
