This book is a novel contribution to the 'practice theory' turn in International Relations. It looks at practitioners' approaches to the EU's foreign policy to its eastern neighbourhood, particularly Russia, and offers a new methodology for capturing practices using the analytical approach of Discursive International Relations and the Discursive Practice Model. Drawing on data from the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament's AFET committee members, the study concludes that EU practitioners are concerned with the collective EU identity, normative and moral duties and collective security interests when considering EU policy towards Russia and other eastern neighbours. This suggest that practitioners are a lot more pragmatic when it comes to this policy area than previously assumed by the vast literature on the EU as a normative power.

Reviews

'It is sometimes said, jokingly, that there are more people researching and writ- ing about EU foreign policy than actually doing it. Beatrix Futák-Campbell's book places the analytical spotlight on the latter and, more specifically, on 'EU practitioners' practice'. [...] for its elaborate and innovative conceptualisation of discur- sive practices in EU foreign policy and for its rich set of (re-usable) inter- view data, this book deserves wide readership in the EU studies scholarly community.'
David Cadier, CERI-Sciences Po Paris, European Review of International Studies 7 (2020)

Introduction
Part I: Theory
1 Studying practitioners' practices
2 Studying social action in interaction
Part II: Practice
3 Constructing the 'European'
4 The normative role of the EU in the eastern region
5 EU foreign policy as a vocation for Europe
6 Justifying the EU's interests in the region: energy security
Conclusion
Index