The Absent Friend: EU Foreign Policy and Counter‐Terrorism

The article argues that the relative absence of foreign policy from the EU's counter‐terrorism efforts is surprising given the nature of the threat. The reasons for this range from the EU's role and approach to counter‐terrorism, to the leading role of interior ministers and a focus on the internal threat. External factors and actors also come into play, such as the US ‘global war on terror’ and Nato's role in counter‐terrorism. The article explores three core aspects of the external dimension of counter‐terrorism policy and argues that areas such as development assistance and democracy promotion have become securitized.