Friends with Benefits? Possibilities for the UK's Continued Participation in the EU's Foreign and Security Policy

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2019 4(2), 427-445 | Article | (Table of Contents) I. Introduction. - II. European law aspects of post-Brexit EU-UK cooperation. - II.1. Legal institutional possibilities and obstacles. - II.2. The withdrawal agreement. - II.3. Third country participation in CFSP. - III. International law aspects of post-Brexit EU-UK cooperation. - III.1. Existing and new CFSP/CSDP agreements. - III.2. International responsibilities and dispute settlement. - IV. Conclusion. | (Abstract) Despite the ambition of the United Kingdom that Brexit should not lead to a complete de-tachment from the European Union's foreign, security and defence policy - and, on the contrary, should lead to a new partnership - a post-Brexit cooperation on CFSP and CSDP matters raises a number of questions under both EU and international law. The present Article points to a number of restrictions in both EU primary and secondary law to allow the UK to maintain its participation in the key decision-making organs. At the same time, it assesses possibilities based on existing practices for third States to participate in EU external action.