The European challenge to foreign policy analysis

This article explores 'European foreign policy' as an important. new empiri cal domain of foreign policy and also as a challenging vehicle for evaluati ng the current status of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA). It begins by identi fying the weaknesses of the dominant institutionalist mode of analysis of f oreign policy activity in Europe which include a restrictive definition of 'foreign policy' in this context. A case is then made for arguing that crit ics of FPA have underestimated the significance of developments in this sub -field of International Relations over the last 30 years and that 'traditio nal' FPA can be adapted to aid the task of understanding the complex arena of European foreign policy defined here as constituted by three interrelate d types of activity; Community, Union and National (member states') foreign policy. Having sketched out an analytical framework which demonstrates the continuing strengths of FPA, the article reflects upon what we might learn from this application about the weaknesses of this mode of analysis. Conti nuing problems notwithstanding, a revitalized FPA is revealed here which ha s the potential to incorporate both positivist and 'postpositivist' approac hes.