Observers of foreign ministries have reached very different conclusions as to their role and significance in the rapidly shifting patterns of world politics. There are those who argue that their essential functions remain, in essence, unaltered. A contrary view asserts that the twin forces of globalization and regionalization are challenging governments and have dramatically diminished the significance of these traditional instruments of diplomacy. Foreign Ministries and the European Union analyses this debate in the specific context of the EU and examines the foreign ministry in thirteen member states.

List of Tables and Figures
Contributors
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction: Gatekeepers and Boundary Spanners: Thinking about Foreign Ministries in the European Union; B.Hocking
The Evolving Role of Foreign Ministries in the European Union: The Conduct of European Affairs; D.Spence
Austria; H.Neuhold
Belgium; R.Coolsaet and A.Voet
Denmark; K.E.Jørgensen
Finland; E.Antola
France; M.Morisse-Schilbach
Germany; E.Regelsberger
United Kingdom; D.Allen
Ireland; B.Tonra
Italy; M.Zucconi
Netherlands; D.Hellema
Portugal; J.Correia
Spain; I.Molina and F.Rodrigo
Sweden; B.Sundelius and M.Ekengren
Conclusion; B.Hocking and D.Spence

BRIAN HOCKING is Professor of International Relations at Coventry University and has previously taught in Australia, North America and Europe. His research interests focus on the interaction between domestic and international forces in the conduct of foreign and foreign economic policy. Publications include Localizing Foreign Policy: Non-Central Governments and Multilayered Diplomacy; Beyond Foreign Economic Policy: The United States and the Single European Market (with M.H. Smith); and Foreign Ministries: Change and Adaptation.

DAVID SPENCE is special advisor to the European Commission for European Security and Defence Policy and Counter-terrorism and he was previously head of the Commission task force for German unification and head of diplomatic training for staff in Commission delegations abroad. Mr Spence has taught at the Sorbonne and has studied in Germany, France and the UK. He is author of several articles on European affairs and co-author (with Geoffrey Edwards) of The European Commission.