Suchergebnisse

The European Commission is an important actor in and of itself, with a distinct role in conflict transformation. There is much academic work on the EU's role in the Cyprus conflict, and more broadly, on the EU as an actor in conflict prevention and resolution. There is much less work examining the specific role of the European Commission through an exploration of the discourse it constructs, produces and sustains. It is the intention of this article to add to the literature in this area through a critical analysis of the European Commission's role in the Cyprus conflict. Adapted from the source document.

The rotating Presidency of the European Union (EU) held for the first time by Cyprus between July and December 2012 was always going to be a challenge given its own domestic economic difficulties, the continued division of the island and the fractious process of EU enlargement towards Turkey. Even before Cyprus had begun its tenure on 1 July 2012 Turkey refused to recognized the Presidency and to co-operate with the Council during Cyprus' term of office. As if this was not enough of a challenge, Cyprus also had to grapple with the turmoil in Greece and its own exposure to the Greek debt crisis, the broader fallout from the eurozone crisis, and the peaceful and not so peaceful transitions in its immediate southern neighbourhood. Indeed, Cyprus neared its Presidency term preparing a bail-out bid as well as a programme of priorities for the EU. In addition to this, there was also the issue of resource for what is a 'small Member State' in EU terms, and questions over whether it could administer and manage an effective Presidency with a Permanent Representation that under 'normal circumstances employed approximately 80 staff. The pre-Presidency context presented an extraordinary set of obstacles for Cyprus, and there was certainly some trepidation as to how it would perform: the outcome, however, demonstrated that Cyprus was able to adapt, learn and act as honest and impartial broker for its six-month term with a modicum of success. Adapted from the source document.