Michael Charokopos | University of Piraeus (original) (raw)

Papers by Michael Charokopos

Southeastern Europe

The article explores the development of energy and transport networks in the Cold War Balkans by ... more The article explores the development of energy and transport networks in the Cold War Balkans by bringing three case studies of cross-border connectivity into focus: the Yougelexport project, the Djerdap hydropower station and the Circular Highway. In this endeavour networks are not treated as neutral physical infrastructures, but as social phenomena with political, cultural and economic impact. Hence, the development of cross-border and cross-bloc connectivity projects between the countries of the region is connected with the course of their bilateral relations and the broader political context of the Cold War. Against this background, the article discusses the national political objectives related to infrastructure building and the role of transnational technocratic cooperation in cross-border connectivity projects in the Cold War Balkans.

For a region like the Western Balkans, where borders are still ‘existential’, cross-border networ... more For a region like the Western Balkans, where borders are still ‘existential’, cross-border networks function like agents of change by helping to redefine what is near and what is remote, what lies inside and what outside. Building on the integrative and transformative potential of networks, the EU has invested significant resources in improving the connectivity of the region. However, the connectivity infrastructure gap in the Western Balkans persists, leaving room for scepticism about the efficiency of infrastructure financing and building in the region. The paper looks into the reasons explaining this gap and points to the adverse impact of infrastructure politics on the efficient use of the existing resources. Against this background, it suggests a set of policy measures structured around three pillars: (i) capacity building as a barrier to the misuse of infrastructure as a political tool, (ii) infrastructure financing tailored to specific needs and connected to the removal of no...

Europe-Asia Studies, 2021

The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical ... more The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical infrastructures into political instruments. It concentrates on two case studies: the construction of...

Europe-Asia Studies, 2018

Abstract This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natu... more Abstract This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natural gas sector. We suggest that explanations of the underlying motives can be classified under two broad theoretical categories: idealism and utilitarianism. Thus, we argue that state capitalism in the Russian natural gas industry can be understood through the idealistic claims of state power and of serving the national interest, which underpin the dominant perception of natural gas resources as a foreign policy tool. Moreover, we contend that although this perception is often considered as a product of the last decade, in fact it is rooted in history, as a legacy of the Soviet era.

Journal of International Relations and Development, 2018

Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical ... more Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical and economic characteristics, thus complicating the work of foreign policy-makers. The article draws on the contribution of the cognitive approach to the analysis of foreign policy-making and investigates the energy–foreign policy nexus in the EU and the US through the lens of the different cognitive structures used by actors to understand the world energy scenery. In this conceptual framework, it examines how the energy–foreign policy linkage has evolved in the EU and the US, to what extent energy is still perceived as a useful instrument serving foreign policy objectives, and in reverse, how far energy policy objectives are integrated in foreign policy-making. Through this comparative exercise, it concludes by identifying differences and potential patterns of convergence between the EU and the US.

Ελληνική Επιθεώρηση Πολιτικής Επιστήμης, 2018

The paper purports to provide an outline for understanding the motives and the external impact of... more The paper purports to provide an outline for understanding the motives and the external impact of the role asserted by the EU in the governance of the international aviation regime. In this perspective, the key question is twofold: why has the EU undertaken to assert a leading role in the governance of the global aviation network and how does it sustain the articulated aspiration of “exporting” the regulatory and ideological structures of the Single Aviation Market? Trying to answer the above question the analysis rests on three legs, each one representing a different aspect of the EU external aviation policy: (a) the EU-US Open Skies Agreements, (b) the construction process of the European and the Euro-Mediterranean Common Aviation Areas and (c) the EU-ICAO relationship. In this context, the paper explores the change in ideas and interests of governmental and non-governmental actors involved in the international aviation regime, as a result of the EU’s international action, in the ...

Enhanced political and economic interdependence is considered by the European Neighbourhood Polic... more Enhanced political and economic interdependence is considered by the European Neighbourhood Policy to be an effective means for security, stability and sustainable development. In this respect, given the importance of transport systems and in particular, of air transport for the promotion of regional integration in the Euro-Mediterranean area, the EU aviation policy towards the Mediterranean plays a significant role in the framework of the Union’s relations with its Mediterranean Partners. This paper argues that the implementation of this regional aviation policy of the European Union is related to a “complex” learning process leading to the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Common Aviation Area. Furthermore, a threefold approach is followed emphasizing the impact of change, related to institutions, interests and identities, to the European External Aviation Policy, and the EU aviation policy towards the Mediterranean, in particular. Finally, it is pointed out that the establishment ...

Energy Law & Policy eJournal, 2013

The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on... more The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on two dimensions of the EU policy in the region, energy and aviation, the article considers the development of the two relevant regional initiatives, the Energy Community and the European Common Aviation Area. The first intends to create an integrated energy market in electricity and natural gas, by bringing together the twenty-seven EU Member States with nine partners from South-eastern Europe. The second is expected to create an integrated aviation market of thirty-six countries and five hundred million people, governed by the EU standards of aviation services' market, safety, security, Air Traffic Management and environment protection. While recognizing the existence of common features shared by the two initiatives, the analysis purports to identify the special characteristics of the two reform processes instigated by the EU, in order to highlight the existing differences and to sh...

The conclusion of the 'open skies' agreement is hailed as a major step for the developmen... more The conclusion of the 'open skies' agreement is hailed as a major step for the development of transatlantic relations and as an example of what the United States and the European Union can achieve through co-operation. However, this aviation agreement is the outcome of long and sometimes thorny negotiations. Moreover, a second stage of negotiations is currently ongoing, with the aim to achieve a new agreement leading to the creation of an Open Aviation Area. This paper considers the transatlantic 'open skies' negotiations as a learning process entailing major policy changes. Through the lens of the learning approach, emphasis is given to the examination of the construction effects of learning on interests and identities of the actors involved.

European Foreign Affairs Review

The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on... more The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on two dimensions of the EU policy in the region, energy and aviation, the article considers the development of the two relevant regional initiatives, the Energy Community and the European Common Aviation Area. The first intends to create an integrated energy market in electricity and natural gas, by bringing together the twenty-seven EU Member States with nine partners from South-eastern Europe. The second is expected to create an integrated aviation market of thirty-six countries and five hundred million people, governed by the EU standards of aviation services' market, safety, security, Air Traffic Management and environment protection. While recognizing the existence of common features shared by the two initiatives, the analysis purports to identify the special characteristics of the two reform processes instigated by the EU, in order to highlight the existing differences and to sh...

Europe - Asia Studies, 2021

The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical ... more The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical infrastructures into political instruments. It concentrates on two case studies: the construction of the ‘Brotherhood and Unity’ Highway and the endeavour of connectivity in the Western Balkans. It examines how the first was involved in the process of constructing a Yugoslav ‘community of nations’ and how the latter is integrated into the broader scheme of ‘region building’ in the Western Balkans. The analysis considers how transport networks are transformed into political instruments in each case and reflects on the limits and the reversibility of this political endeavour.

Journal of European Integration, 2015

In the light of the discussion on the EU’s tendency to reproduce itself in its external action, t... more In the light of the discussion on the EU’s tendency to reproduce itself in its external action, the article argues that the EU’s international life is permeated by a ‘western style rationality’ culture, and that what is reproduced through its external action is its own ‘rationality myth’. In order to substantiate this argument, I undertake a cross-sectoral and cross-regional approach. The two policy sectors under examination are energy and aviation, while the geographical scope of the study covers two regions: the Western Balkans and the Southern Mediterranean.

European Foreign Affairs Review, 2013

The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on... more The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on two dimensions of the EU policy in the region, energy and aviation, the article considers the development of the two relevant regional initiatives, the Energy Community and the European Common Aviation Area. The first intends to create an integrated energy market in electricity and natural gas, by bringing together the twenty-seven EU Member States with nine partners from South-eastern Europe. The second is expected to create an integrated aviation market of thirty-six countries and five hundred million people, governed by the EU standards of aviation services' market, safety, security, Air Traffic Management and environment protection. While recognizing the existence of common features shared by the two initiatives, the analysis purports to identify the special characteristics of the two reform processes instigated by the EU, in order to highlight the existing differences and to shed light on the underlying explanatory factors. Emphasis is put on the relationship between the ideational foundation of the two reform processes and the material interests of the actors involved in them.

Europe - Asia Studies, 2018

This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natural gas s... more This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natural gas sector. We suggest that explanations of the underlying motives can be classified under two broad theoretical categories: idealism and utilitarianism. Thus, we argue that state capitalism in the Russian natural gas industry can be understood through the idealistic claims of state power and of serving the national interest, which underpin the dominant perception of natural gas resources as a foreign policy tool. Moreover, we contend that although this perception is often considered as a product of the last decade, in fact it is rooted in history, as a legacy of the Soviet era.

Greek Political Science Review, 2018

The emergence of new influential global actors and the seeming omnipotence of global markets have... more The emergence of new influential global actors and the seeming omnipotence of global markets have produced a highly diversified international environment challenging the concept of foreign policy and the theoretical contribution of FPA. In view of this challenge, it is argued that instead of considering the above changes through a fragmentary approach, it would be more efficient to conceive them as part of an ongoing transformation process governing practice and theory in foreign policy. On this background, the politicaleconomic interface is revisited, in order to highlight the significance of the concepts of security and prosperity in the contemporary international framework and to reconsider the question of an interdisciplinary approach to foreign policy.

Journal of International Relations and Development, 2020

Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical ... more Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical and economic characteristics, thus complicating the work of foreign policy-makers. The article draws on the contribution of the cognitive approach to the analysis of foreign policy-making and investigates the energy–foreign policy nexus in the EU and the US through the lens of the different cognitive structures used by actors to understand the world energy scenery. In this conceptual framework, it examines how the energy–foreign policy linkage has evolved in the EU and the US, to what extent energy is still perceived as a useful instrument serving foreign policy objectives, and in reverse, how far energy policy objectives are integrated in foreign policy-making. Through this comparative exercise, it concludes by identifying differences and potential patterns of convergence between the EU and the US.

International Journal: Canada's Journal of Global Policy Analysis, 2014

More than a decade after the European Court of Justice’s “open skies” judgments, is the European ... more More than a decade after the European Court of Justice’s “open skies” judgments, is the European Union (EU) now capable of asserting a leading role in the international aviation regime? This article approaches the EU’s external aviation policy through the lenses of role theory and, more precisely, through the threefold connotation of the concept of role: role conceptions, role expectations, and role performance. It finds that there is a converging tendency between the three dimensions and that the gap between external expectations and actual policy behaviour on the one hand, and the EU’s aspiration for a leading role in international aviation on the other, is diminishing. Over time, then, the EU could indeed transform from a regional trendsetter into a leading player in the international aviation regime.

Energy and Environmental Transformations in a Globalizing World, Kalantzakos, Sophia & Farantouris, Nikolaos E. (eds), , 2016

A decade after the signature of the Energy Community Treaty, an intense discussion regarding the ... more A decade after the signature of the Energy Community Treaty, an intense discussion regarding the future of the Energy Community (EC) is underway among the Organization’s stakeholders. Representing the most ambitious undertaking to fulfill the Union’s aspiration for integration in the energy sector beyond its borders, the EC is a constituent part of EU external energy policy. In this context, this chapter reflects on the feasibility of the ‘one size fits all’ approach adopted by the EU in the case of the Energy Community. It is argued that the EU needs to demonstrate more reflexivity and to introduce the concept of flexibility in order to enhance the effectiveness of the EC and facilitate its further enlargement towards countries with no EU accession prospect.

International Political Economy: Theory, structure and challenges of the world economy, Kontis, A. and Tsardanidis, Ch. (eds), 2012

Southeastern Europe

The article explores the development of energy and transport networks in the Cold War Balkans by ... more The article explores the development of energy and transport networks in the Cold War Balkans by bringing three case studies of cross-border connectivity into focus: the Yougelexport project, the Djerdap hydropower station and the Circular Highway. In this endeavour networks are not treated as neutral physical infrastructures, but as social phenomena with political, cultural and economic impact. Hence, the development of cross-border and cross-bloc connectivity projects between the countries of the region is connected with the course of their bilateral relations and the broader political context of the Cold War. Against this background, the article discusses the national political objectives related to infrastructure building and the role of transnational technocratic cooperation in cross-border connectivity projects in the Cold War Balkans.

For a region like the Western Balkans, where borders are still ‘existential’, cross-border networ... more For a region like the Western Balkans, where borders are still ‘existential’, cross-border networks function like agents of change by helping to redefine what is near and what is remote, what lies inside and what outside. Building on the integrative and transformative potential of networks, the EU has invested significant resources in improving the connectivity of the region. However, the connectivity infrastructure gap in the Western Balkans persists, leaving room for scepticism about the efficiency of infrastructure financing and building in the region. The paper looks into the reasons explaining this gap and points to the adverse impact of infrastructure politics on the efficient use of the existing resources. Against this background, it suggests a set of policy measures structured around three pillars: (i) capacity building as a barrier to the misuse of infrastructure as a political tool, (ii) infrastructure financing tailored to specific needs and connected to the removal of no...

Europe-Asia Studies, 2021

The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical ... more The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical infrastructures into political instruments. It concentrates on two case studies: the construction of...

Europe-Asia Studies, 2018

Abstract This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natu... more Abstract This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natural gas sector. We suggest that explanations of the underlying motives can be classified under two broad theoretical categories: idealism and utilitarianism. Thus, we argue that state capitalism in the Russian natural gas industry can be understood through the idealistic claims of state power and of serving the national interest, which underpin the dominant perception of natural gas resources as a foreign policy tool. Moreover, we contend that although this perception is often considered as a product of the last decade, in fact it is rooted in history, as a legacy of the Soviet era.

Journal of International Relations and Development, 2018

Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical ... more Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical and economic characteristics, thus complicating the work of foreign policy-makers. The article draws on the contribution of the cognitive approach to the analysis of foreign policy-making and investigates the energy–foreign policy nexus in the EU and the US through the lens of the different cognitive structures used by actors to understand the world energy scenery. In this conceptual framework, it examines how the energy–foreign policy linkage has evolved in the EU and the US, to what extent energy is still perceived as a useful instrument serving foreign policy objectives, and in reverse, how far energy policy objectives are integrated in foreign policy-making. Through this comparative exercise, it concludes by identifying differences and potential patterns of convergence between the EU and the US.

Ελληνική Επιθεώρηση Πολιτικής Επιστήμης, 2018

The paper purports to provide an outline for understanding the motives and the external impact of... more The paper purports to provide an outline for understanding the motives and the external impact of the role asserted by the EU in the governance of the international aviation regime. In this perspective, the key question is twofold: why has the EU undertaken to assert a leading role in the governance of the global aviation network and how does it sustain the articulated aspiration of “exporting” the regulatory and ideological structures of the Single Aviation Market? Trying to answer the above question the analysis rests on three legs, each one representing a different aspect of the EU external aviation policy: (a) the EU-US Open Skies Agreements, (b) the construction process of the European and the Euro-Mediterranean Common Aviation Areas and (c) the EU-ICAO relationship. In this context, the paper explores the change in ideas and interests of governmental and non-governmental actors involved in the international aviation regime, as a result of the EU’s international action, in the ...

Enhanced political and economic interdependence is considered by the European Neighbourhood Polic... more Enhanced political and economic interdependence is considered by the European Neighbourhood Policy to be an effective means for security, stability and sustainable development. In this respect, given the importance of transport systems and in particular, of air transport for the promotion of regional integration in the Euro-Mediterranean area, the EU aviation policy towards the Mediterranean plays a significant role in the framework of the Union’s relations with its Mediterranean Partners. This paper argues that the implementation of this regional aviation policy of the European Union is related to a “complex” learning process leading to the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Common Aviation Area. Furthermore, a threefold approach is followed emphasizing the impact of change, related to institutions, interests and identities, to the European External Aviation Policy, and the EU aviation policy towards the Mediterranean, in particular. Finally, it is pointed out that the establishment ...

Energy Law & Policy eJournal, 2013

The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on... more The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on two dimensions of the EU policy in the region, energy and aviation, the article considers the development of the two relevant regional initiatives, the Energy Community and the European Common Aviation Area. The first intends to create an integrated energy market in electricity and natural gas, by bringing together the twenty-seven EU Member States with nine partners from South-eastern Europe. The second is expected to create an integrated aviation market of thirty-six countries and five hundred million people, governed by the EU standards of aviation services' market, safety, security, Air Traffic Management and environment protection. While recognizing the existence of common features shared by the two initiatives, the analysis purports to identify the special characteristics of the two reform processes instigated by the EU, in order to highlight the existing differences and to sh...

The conclusion of the 'open skies' agreement is hailed as a major step for the developmen... more The conclusion of the 'open skies' agreement is hailed as a major step for the development of transatlantic relations and as an example of what the United States and the European Union can achieve through co-operation. However, this aviation agreement is the outcome of long and sometimes thorny negotiations. Moreover, a second stage of negotiations is currently ongoing, with the aim to achieve a new agreement leading to the creation of an Open Aviation Area. This paper considers the transatlantic 'open skies' negotiations as a learning process entailing major policy changes. Through the lens of the learning approach, emphasis is given to the examination of the construction effects of learning on interests and identities of the actors involved.

European Foreign Affairs Review

The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on... more The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on two dimensions of the EU policy in the region, energy and aviation, the article considers the development of the two relevant regional initiatives, the Energy Community and the European Common Aviation Area. The first intends to create an integrated energy market in electricity and natural gas, by bringing together the twenty-seven EU Member States with nine partners from South-eastern Europe. The second is expected to create an integrated aviation market of thirty-six countries and five hundred million people, governed by the EU standards of aviation services' market, safety, security, Air Traffic Management and environment protection. While recognizing the existence of common features shared by the two initiatives, the analysis purports to identify the special characteristics of the two reform processes instigated by the EU, in order to highlight the existing differences and to sh...

Europe - Asia Studies, 2021

The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical ... more The article explores how transport networks in the Western Balkans are transformed from physical infrastructures into political instruments. It concentrates on two case studies: the construction of the ‘Brotherhood and Unity’ Highway and the endeavour of connectivity in the Western Balkans. It examines how the first was involved in the process of constructing a Yugoslav ‘community of nations’ and how the latter is integrated into the broader scheme of ‘region building’ in the Western Balkans. The analysis considers how transport networks are transformed into political instruments in each case and reflects on the limits and the reversibility of this political endeavour.

Journal of European Integration, 2015

In the light of the discussion on the EU’s tendency to reproduce itself in its external action, t... more In the light of the discussion on the EU’s tendency to reproduce itself in its external action, the article argues that the EU’s international life is permeated by a ‘western style rationality’ culture, and that what is reproduced through its external action is its own ‘rationality myth’. In order to substantiate this argument, I undertake a cross-sectoral and cross-regional approach. The two policy sectors under examination are energy and aviation, while the geographical scope of the study covers two regions: the Western Balkans and the Southern Mediterranean.

European Foreign Affairs Review, 2013

The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on... more The European Union (EU) conducts a multi-faceted policy in South-eastern Europe. Concentrating on two dimensions of the EU policy in the region, energy and aviation, the article considers the development of the two relevant regional initiatives, the Energy Community and the European Common Aviation Area. The first intends to create an integrated energy market in electricity and natural gas, by bringing together the twenty-seven EU Member States with nine partners from South-eastern Europe. The second is expected to create an integrated aviation market of thirty-six countries and five hundred million people, governed by the EU standards of aviation services' market, safety, security, Air Traffic Management and environment protection. While recognizing the existence of common features shared by the two initiatives, the analysis purports to identify the special characteristics of the two reform processes instigated by the EU, in order to highlight the existing differences and to shed light on the underlying explanatory factors. Emphasis is put on the relationship between the ideational foundation of the two reform processes and the material interests of the actors involved in them.

Europe - Asia Studies, 2018

This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natural gas s... more This article explores the phenomenon of the enduring state control over the Russian natural gas sector. We suggest that explanations of the underlying motives can be classified under two broad theoretical categories: idealism and utilitarianism. Thus, we argue that state capitalism in the Russian natural gas industry can be understood through the idealistic claims of state power and of serving the national interest, which underpin the dominant perception of natural gas resources as a foreign policy tool. Moreover, we contend that although this perception is often considered as a product of the last decade, in fact it is rooted in history, as a legacy of the Soviet era.

Greek Political Science Review, 2018

The emergence of new influential global actors and the seeming omnipotence of global markets have... more The emergence of new influential global actors and the seeming omnipotence of global markets have produced a highly diversified international environment challenging the concept of foreign policy and the theoretical contribution of FPA. In view of this challenge, it is argued that instead of considering the above changes through a fragmentary approach, it would be more efficient to conceive them as part of an ongoing transformation process governing practice and theory in foreign policy. On this background, the politicaleconomic interface is revisited, in order to highlight the significance of the concepts of security and prosperity in the contemporary international framework and to reconsider the question of an interdisciplinary approach to foreign policy.

Journal of International Relations and Development, 2020

Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical ... more Energy is an increasingly politicised commodity which, however, retains its particular technical and economic characteristics, thus complicating the work of foreign policy-makers. The article draws on the contribution of the cognitive approach to the analysis of foreign policy-making and investigates the energy–foreign policy nexus in the EU and the US through the lens of the different cognitive structures used by actors to understand the world energy scenery. In this conceptual framework, it examines how the energy–foreign policy linkage has evolved in the EU and the US, to what extent energy is still perceived as a useful instrument serving foreign policy objectives, and in reverse, how far energy policy objectives are integrated in foreign policy-making. Through this comparative exercise, it concludes by identifying differences and potential patterns of convergence between the EU and the US.

International Journal: Canada's Journal of Global Policy Analysis, 2014

More than a decade after the European Court of Justice’s “open skies” judgments, is the European ... more More than a decade after the European Court of Justice’s “open skies” judgments, is the European Union (EU) now capable of asserting a leading role in the international aviation regime? This article approaches the EU’s external aviation policy through the lenses of role theory and, more precisely, through the threefold connotation of the concept of role: role conceptions, role expectations, and role performance. It finds that there is a converging tendency between the three dimensions and that the gap between external expectations and actual policy behaviour on the one hand, and the EU’s aspiration for a leading role in international aviation on the other, is diminishing. Over time, then, the EU could indeed transform from a regional trendsetter into a leading player in the international aviation regime.

Energy and Environmental Transformations in a Globalizing World, Kalantzakos, Sophia & Farantouris, Nikolaos E. (eds), , 2016

A decade after the signature of the Energy Community Treaty, an intense discussion regarding the ... more A decade after the signature of the Energy Community Treaty, an intense discussion regarding the future of the Energy Community (EC) is underway among the Organization’s stakeholders. Representing the most ambitious undertaking to fulfill the Union’s aspiration for integration in the energy sector beyond its borders, the EC is a constituent part of EU external energy policy. In this context, this chapter reflects on the feasibility of the ‘one size fits all’ approach adopted by the EU in the case of the Energy Community. It is argued that the EU needs to demonstrate more reflexivity and to introduce the concept of flexibility in order to enhance the effectiveness of the EC and facilitate its further enlargement towards countries with no EU accession prospect.

International Political Economy: Theory, structure and challenges of the world economy, Kontis, A. and Tsardanidis, Ch. (eds), 2012

Book, 2014

Πολυδιάστατο φαινόμενο των Διεθνών Σχέσεων, η εξωτερική δράση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) βρίσκετα... more Πολυδιάστατο φαινόμενο των Διεθνών Σχέσεων, η εξωτερική δράση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) βρίσκεται, σήμερα, στο επίκεντρο θεωρητικών αναλύσεων και εμπειρικών μελετών, που επιδιώκουν να αξιολογήσουν την εξωτερική εικόνα της και να προσδιορίσουν τα παραγόμενα αποτελέσματα σε διεθνές επίπεδο. Συμβαίνει, ωστόσο, συχνά, τα σχετικά ερευνητικά ερωτήματα και τα εξαγόμενα συμπεράσματα να μην συνδέονται επαρκώς με την ανάλυση της διαδικασίας διαμόρφωσης της πολιτικής της ΕΕ στους διάφορους τομείς εξωτερικής δράσης της. Η παρούσα μελέτη εκκινεί από την παραδοχή ότι, προκειμένου η έρευνα να περάσει από την απλή καταγραφή των αποτελεσμάτων της εξωτερικής δράσης της ΕΕ στην εξήγησή τους και κυρίως, στην εξήγηση του διαφορετικού επιπέδου αποτελεσματικότητας ανά τομέα δράσης, θα πρέπει να φωτίσει τη σχέση της διαδικασίας διαμόρφωσης πολιτικής με τα παραγόμενα αποτελέσματα, καθώς και να λάβει υπ' όψιν τις ιδιαιτερότητες κάθε περιοχής ή / και πεδίου εξωτερικής δράσης. Η προσέγγιση, λοιπόν, της εξωτερικής δράσης της ΕΕ στους τομείς του φυσικού αερίου και των αερομεταφορών αποτελεί μία άσκηση παρακολούθησης και εξήγησης των παραγόμενων αποτελεσμάτων, η οποία συνίσταται στην εξέταση των διαδικασιών διαμόρφωσης των σχετικών πολιτικών και στη διασύνδεση των διαδικασιών αυτών με την ασκούμενη επιρροή στο εξωτερικό περιβάλλον. Θεωρητικό όχημα της επιχειρούμενης ερευνητικής διαδρομής είναι το τρίπτυχο θεσμών, συμφερόντων και ιδεών, μέσω του οποίου εξασφαλίζεται μία σύνθετη θέαση της εξωτερικής δράσης της ΕΕ, βασιζόμενη στην αντίληψη ότι τα δίπολα δομής -δρώντων και υλιστικής- ιδεαλιστικής διάστασης εξυπηρετούν μεν αναλυτικούς σκοπούς, αλλά δεν αντικατοπτρίζουν έναν οντολογικό διαχωρισμό, καθώς ενσωματώνουν σχέσεις διαρκούς αλληλοδιάδρασης