In the previous chapter I discussed the different theoretical approaches within two (sub-)disciplines of political science: international relations and European integration studies. Within IR, the role of the state in the international system was examined as well as the different views on the possibility of—and the limits to—cooperation between states. In the case of the EU's external relations, the main issue is the theoretical possibility that states transfer part of their self-determination with regard to their foreign relations to a supranational entity. This touches on the sensitive matter of national sovereignty. With respect to the various schools of thought within European integration studies, we first and foremost looked at the various explanations given for the dynamic of European integration and the role of state and non-state actors at different levels of analysis. In this chapter we take a closer look at another area within IR, which is the study of the foreign policy of states. The central question will be what lessons can be learned from this literature for the study of the EU's external relations.

The reason for taking this further step into the world of theory formation can easily be explained. If we want to determine the extent to which the EU can operate as a stand-alone actor in the international system, we are in fact posing the question about the degree of statehood of the EU. The literature on foreign policy analysis takes this statehood as a given and tries to unravel the factors and actors behind the realisation of national foreign policy. In the most ‘enlightened’ analyses, foreign policy is understood in the broad sense that we assign to EU external relations in this book, which includes not only the traditional elements of diplomacy and defence but also economic relations, cooperation (ranging from trade agreements to policy integration within international organisations or supranational institutions), and all the intended and unintended consequences of ‘domestic’ policy for other countries. A glance at this literature increases our understanding of the possibilities of—but also limits to—the EU's actorness as a global player.

Another reason for separately examining the literature on foreign policy analysis is that the integration theories discussed in the previous chapter tend to only implicitly pay attention to so-called high politics and (the how and why of) the gradual and partial transfer of those policy areas that fall under this heading of high politics to the supranational European level.