Professor Richard Whitman) is the co-author of a new Chatham House research paper evaluating the opportunities and risks for the future collaborative strategies of France, Germany and the UK in their E3 format.
The research paper titled ‘Towards a strategic agenda for the E3: Opportunities and risks for France, Germany and the UK’, looks at how the E3 grouping of the European countries are cooperating on foreign and security policy beyond their original purpose to facilitate dialogue on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Written for an audience of policymakers in Berlin, Paris and London, the report considers whether broadening and deepening E3 activity is desirable and possible, especially with the complications created by the lack of an EU-UK arrangement on foreign, security and defence policy.
Professor Whitman said: ‘This report considers the motivations and hesitations of Paris, Berlin and London regarding the use of the E3 format, and how to position the format vis-à-vis other European states, the US and the EU institutions. It also poses the question, how might France, Germany and the UK further cooperate on foreign and security issues via the E3 format in the future? With 2021 bringing around many changes associated with the UK leaving the European Union, the publication proposes a practical path for future E3 working practice that provides informative insights for policymakers.’
Richard Whitman, Professor of Politics and International Relations at POLIR is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Chatham House is the UK’s premier think tank examining foreign and security policy issues. Professor Whitman’s current work with Chatham House focuses on the UK’s foreign policy focus after Brexit.
The research paper can be accessed on Chatham House’s website.