Europeanisation of the EU defence and security policy after the end of the Cold-War

The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which the end of the Cold War led to Europeanisation in European Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The analysis takes into consideration previous studies on Europeanisation and its impact on the transformation of national security and defence, and attempts to account for the development of Europeanisation and related mechanisms. These mechanisms, which were described by Radaelli as framing mechanisms and negative integration, incorporate all major relevant factors identified in the thesis (i.e., a common strategic culture, new security identity, domestic political decision-making, industrial base and defence spending decline) which contribute to the realisation of the CSDP. The relevance of these factors for CSDP Europeanisation is examined through historical and empirical analysis. Furthermore, the relationship between CSDP and NATO is also explored. This approach facilitates the analysis of the debate concerning the emergence of CSDP and throws light on the political shift that led EU leaders to support CSDP. Another aspect of this study is the empirical analysis of the dynamics and limitations of the European defence sector. The changes which took place in the European defence sector facilitated the emergence of CSDP. Hence, these changes are analysed in view of globalisation issues, economies of scale, economic crises, military autonomy, new security strategy and R&D impact

Putting the Common Security and Defense Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean under Scrutiny: Türkiye’s Conflicting Role

The end of the Cold War and the emergence of a new global security and economic environment (Defence budgets’ decline, imminent threats from the Gulf War and NATO’s quest for a new identity), provided a window of opportunity for establishing and designing the EU’s security institution. Thus, what was initially considered farfetched after the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, entered a new phase, which included perception transformation, to be gradually incorporated into daily discourse. Hence, the 2003 “European Security Strategy”, the 2010 “Internal Security Strategy”, and later the 2016 “Global Strategy” reflect Member States’ perception of transformation and their belief that the EU needs a Common Security and Defence Strategy approach. Given these documents that indicate determination for notable integration and institutional restructuring, this analysis delves into the impact of Europeanisation concerning the implementation of institutional reforms and the CSDP. More specifically, this analysis probes the constraints of Europeanisation concerning the EU’s real operational dynamics, especially in light of the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea security challenges. These challenges are examined in relation to Türkiye’s revisionist public diplomacy, public policies, and the militarization of its foreign policy (including ongoing negotiations centered on migratory flows, assertions, and constructed narratives over Greek and Cypriot islands and seas). The situation has become more pronounced following the identification of gas and oil reserves in the area in 2010. This analysis has a two-fold focus: Firstly, to investigate Europeanisation impact on the operational implementation of CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) in time of crisis, and secondly, to evaluate the behavior of Türkiye within the Europeanisation framework, as proposed by Radaelli and Violakis

Sensitivity Analysis of Acoustic Emission Detection Using Fiber Bragg Gratings with Different Optical Fiber Diameters

Acoustic Emission (AE) detection and, in particular, ultrasound detection are excellent tools for structural health monitoring or medical diagnosis. Despite the technological maturity of the well-received piezoelectric transducer, optical fiber AE detection sensors are attracting increasing attention due to their small size, and electromagnetic and chemical immunity as well as the broad frequency response of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors in these fibers. Due to the merits of their small size, FBGs were inscribed in optical fibers with diameters of 50 and 80 μm in this work. The manufactured FBGs were used for the detection of reproducible acoustic waves using the edge filter detection method. The acquired acoustic signals were compared to the ones captured by a standard 125 μm-diameter optical fiber FBG. Result analysis was performed by utilizing fast Fourier and wavelet decompositions. Both analyses reveal a higher sensitivity and dynamic range for the 50 μm-diameter optical fiber, despite it being more prone to noise than the other two, due to non-standard splicing methods and mode field mismatch losses. Consequently, the use of smaller-diameter optical fibers for AE detection is favorable for both the sensor sensitivity as well as physical footprint