Based on the commonly held assumption about EU's inefficient foreign policy and inability to cope with new challenges, the paper raises the question whether the EU will assume greater responsibility for peace, especially in its neighborhood. It contributes to answer this question by focusing on EU's conflict prevention and crisis management (civilian-military) which is embodied in the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). In the recent years security challenges for Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) are becoming complex. In March 2015, the European External Action Service presented a report on CSDP indicating problems in crisis management. Yet, the EU strives for efficient activities. Recently, it adapted a New Action Plan for human rights and democracy. It also considers reviewing its neighborhood policy as well as CSDP for having more effective actions against crisis. The EU attaches great importance to a coherent and comprehensive strategy in crisis situations. Observing that the EU comprehensive strategy was launched in early 2015 to deal with crises in Syria and Iraq, this paper questions to what extent EU's new arguments for conflict prevention and crisis management are realized in its regional strategy for Syria and Iraq.
