Burden-sharing in EU military operations

Abstract: In 2008, the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) launched the EU Naval Force (NAVFOR) Atalanta, the Union’s first-ever naval operation. In this military mission, Sweden and Finland took different degrees of participation. This thesis analyse how adaption of national defence can explain different degrees of burden-sharing in EU military operations. The theoretical framework is based on Foreign Policy Analysis, and a new theoretical model is developed. The paper uses a comparative case study and the research methods are qualitative. From the empirical analyse, the following conclusions can be made. First, adaption of national defence can explain different degrees of burden-sharing by the fact that different EU Member States give different priorities to CSDP military operations in their national defence planning. Second, the concept of adaption is of importance when analysing burden-sharing since CSDP military operations require more than political will; it requires that EU Member States make practical adjustments in their national defence.