ABSTRACT
As the international press repeatedly reminds us, the European Union (EU) struggles to appear as a unitary and effective actor in the international arena. European reactions to the United States (US) attack on Iraq in 2003, the Lebanon crisis in 2006 and the independence of Kosovo in 2008 all gave the impression of a divided and clumsy Europe. The limited budgetary and military capabilities available for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the veto powers available to member states on this policy suggest that EU foreign policy does not add much to the foreign capabilities of its individual member states.
