ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to propose and demonstrates the utility of a multilevel theory of European foreign policy which goes beyond the analysis of the European Union. It seeks to illustrate that European foreign policy cannot be fully understood without consideration of Europe's relations with the United States and other international organizations engaged in Europe, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE ) or the United Nations (UN). The notion of multiplicity commonly refers to the observation that the number of actors which are able to influence the foreign policy process and its outcomes has grown. The consensus that foreign policy decision-making cannot be adequately grasped by single-level analysis builds on a broad range of studies observing changes in the nature of the political process over the past decades. This chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book.
