The European Union's foreign policy: explaining variation in external assistance policies

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1669254 (Table of Contents)

The main aim of this dissertation is twofold; while it aims to explain the European integration and differentiation in EU external assistance policies, at the same time it examines the relationship between integration mechanisms, enlargement and development and cooperation policy. It also aims to explain why and to where individual EU member states prefer to allocate bilateral aid, and aggregate in some partner countries and regions, while the European Commission standing as the one of the most effective and successful multilateral agency regarding financial aid. Thus, it aims to uncover the factors that determine aid allocation preferences of EU institutions and member states. Finally, it explains the roles of Europeanisation and European differentiated integration on the development aid policies of EU candidates by taking the case of Turkey. Turkey is both an EU aid recipient and an emerging donor. The dissertation includes three broad research questions; 1- Does European integration have any impact on the evolution of EU external assistance policies and financial aid instruments and vice versa? 2- What are the main factors that determine the patterns of aid fractionalisation of European donors? and 3- Whether convergence and divergence between Turkey’s and the EU’s development and humanitarian aid policies is a form of differentiated integration between these partners and if yes, this would cause to an alternative mode of integration in development policy? It adopts a mixed-method approach by using primary and secondary data analysis approach and semi-structured elite interview methodology and also a large-N, panel data regression analysis.