Gearing up for the 2013 EEAS Review: Opportunities, Challenges, and Possible Approaches

This Briefing Note explores the political and technical challenges of the upcoming review of the European External Action Service (EEAS), scheduled for 2013, and looks at how it could seize this opportunity to increase the legitimacy of the EEAS by promoting learning and accountability. By drawing on relevant experiences in conducting evaluations, this Note presents options and particular challenges that may be faced in the review process. Section 1 examines the context and legal basis for the review. Section 2 further frames the review according to common challenges identified for the EEAS and obstacles facing reviews and evaluations of this nature. Section 3 offers several possible analytical approaches for the review, alongside brief analyses of their practical and political feasibility and examples. Section 4 closes with some concluding remarks and recommendations for improvin