FINLAND & PALESTINE Proceedings of a Joint Workshop

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. ___~_ Flora Kurtkllafil
strengthen its CFSP, and even to create a credible military capability.
A political objective of the EU, explicitly stated in the Amsterdam
Treaty in 1997, is "to assert its identity on the international scene,
in particular through the implementation of a common foreign
and security policy".5 The point of departure for developing the
Union's foreign, security and defense policy was not in a shared
sense of threat, as was the case for Nato. For the EU, the major
motivating factor was the need to have political credibility.
Despite the determination and drive for a credible political
actorness, the EU is still seen as the paymaster in the Middle
East. Among the primary parties in the conflict, the Palestinians,
especially, would like to see the EU's political commitment
increase to balance its role. But, an active role in dialogue, bold
new initiatives, grand plans and world-changing ideas are hard
to generate within the Union of 27 member states.
3. The Cornerstones of the EU Action
The EU - like any collective actor - has an institutional identity.
The continuous evolution of the Union means that, also, its essence,
its identity, is redefined. The latest attempt to re-frame
the EU's essence is the Treaty of lisbon, which has been in a
stalemate since the referendum took place in Ireland. The identity
construction is an interactive, long-term 'negotiation
process,' where a prerequisite for the recognition of the identity
is that one becomes recognizable first. Therefore, a lisbon Treaty
type of stock-taking is essential - first, internally, and secondly,
externally - in stating the state of the affairs: this is what the
Union is now.
5 Treaty of Amsterdam, art. B.
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