The EU as Peacebuilder: Actorness, Potential and Limits

Nathalie Tocci looks at EU peacebuilding from an ‘actorness’ perspective: what role does the Union play on the international scene of peacebuilding? She identifies a twofold manner in which the EU may contribute to stability in post-conflict societies. One mechanism is support for the restoring of adequate administrative, judicial, security or economic capacities to engage in peaceful change through targeted financial or technical assistance. Second, the EU may tackle the lack of political will in favour of conflict transformation by creating certain incentives. Depending on the coercive or consensual character of these incentives, Tocci distinguishes between socialisation, conditionality and passive enforcement. While conceding that, on both counts, the EU may bring significant added value, she cautions that its efforts are sometimes hampered by credibility problems.