All for One? EU Member States and the Union's Common Policy Towards the Russian Federation

Abstract

EU–Russia relations constitute an interesting case through which to examine the way the EU affects how member states operate in external relations with third countries, and to what extent the member states can shape EU policy. All 27 member states partake in EU decision-making, and all of them also maintain bilateral relations with Russia. This article examines why it is that EU member states struggle to speak with one voice. In particular it investigates whether a convergence of member states' individual policies has developed into an EU policy or, alternatively, if their bilateral relations with Russia prevent a common policy from developing. Different avenues through which individual states' national preferences can shape EU policy towards Russia are examined in the first part of this article, while the second part addresses the perennial debates about the trade-off between the ‘shared values’ and the individual national interests of member states. It is argued that member states are split on matters of principle, effectively supporting contrasting approaches which are intrinsically difficult to reconcile. This study of the EU's relationship with its most important neighbour on the continent opens a window onto whether the EU is developing as a viable foreign policy actor.