EU’s External Action
Cristian Ghinea
Romanian Centre for European Policies
(CRPE)
www.crpe.ro
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EU’s External Action
• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)
- Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
But also
• Trade policy
• Development policy
• Humanitarian aid policy
• Enlargement policy
www.crpe.ro
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A bit of history
• 1957: international trade negotiations (under the Common Commercial
Policy) - from the establishment of the Community
• 1970: the origin of CFSP - the European Political Co-operation, an informal
intergovernmental consultation mechanism
• 1993 Maastricht Treaty – establishment of CFSP - second pillar;
intergovernmental – decision taken by unanimity
• 1999 Amsterdam Treaty – the High Representative for the Common
Foreign and Security Policy (Javier Solana until 1 December 2009) coordinated and represented the EU's foreign policy
• 2009 Treaty of Lisbon; creation of High Representative of the Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/VP, EEAS.
• Putting together the member states and the community
www.crpe.ro
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The EU
Institutions
European
Commission
represents ‘Union interest’
European
Council
represents member states
HR/VP
EEAS
European
Parliament
represents citizens
Council
of Ministers
represents member states
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Decision-making
• EU’s external action - elaborated by the Foreign
Affairs Council (FAC) on the basis of strategic
guidelines laid down by the European Council
• Decisions require unanimity among member states
in the Council; once agreed, certain aspects can be
further decided by QMV (55% if acting on a proposal
from the High Representative, or else 72%, and
majority of population: 65%.)
www.crpe.ro
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The European Council
• Heads of State and Government + European Council President +
Commission President. HR/VP takes part.
• Impulse for the Union’s action and defining political guidelines. EU’s
strategic (and crisis solving) body
• Meets at least 4 times a year (more often in practice)
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Permanent President - Herman Van Rompuy
Prepares and chairs the meetings. 2,5 years mandate.
Reelected for 2nd mandate (until 30 November 2014)
Represents the EU at his level (heads of state or gov)
Co-presides, with the President of the European Commission, EU
Summits with third countries (e.g. EU-Russia summit)
www.crpe.ro
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The High Representative (HR/VP)
Appointed by the European Council with qualified majority.
Multi-hatted:
• Council: chairs Foreign Affairs Council
• European Council: takes part
• Head of the European External Action Service (EEAS)
• Commission: Vice-president. Coordination role
• Should work closer with:
• other commissioners (Development,Humanitarian Assistance/
Crisis Response, Enlargement/Neighbourhood)
Catherine Ashton
Multi-tasked:
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Conducts the foreign policy of the EU and represents the Union at her level
– ministers of foreign affairs; expresses EU’s position in international
organisations and international conferences
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Ensures consistency and coordinates EU’s external action
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Has an individual right of initiative but MS take the final policy decisions
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Informs the European Parliament
www.crpe.ro
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European External Action Service (EEAS)
• EU’s diplomatic service
• launched on 1 December 2010
• implementing the EU's CFSP and
other areas of the EU's external
action (has to work with the COM
on areas of shared competence)
EEAS HQ
•Assists the HR/VP Ashton
• central administration in Brussels and about 138 EU
delegations worldwide
www.crpe.ro
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EU Delegations
• Previously Commission Delegations and Offices, now
they represent the whole EU
• About 139 EU Delegations
• The head of Delegation is part of the EEAS, and has
both EEAS and Commission staff
• Chair EU internal coordination meetings with the
member states national embassies
www.crpe.ro
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The Council of Ministers
• Intergovernmental institution, co-legislator with the EP;
executive functions in relations to the CFSP
• Defines and implements the CFSP
• Meets in different compositions depending on the policy area
being addressed
• The Council formations are chaired by a 6-monthly rotating
presidency. Exception - the Foreign Affairs Council is chaired
by the HR/VP
• Foreign Affairs Council – meets in different formats – mainly,
the 27 foreign ministers but also trade, development, defence
format
www.crpe.ro
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The European Commission
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Supranational institution, initiator of legislation + executive arm + ‘Guardian of
the Treaties
Motor of European integration
Composed of 27 members for 5 years – the College of Commissioners;
nominated by each MS (common accord with COM President) but independent
of them
Role in external action:
• Trade policy (DG Trade), Development policy – DG Development and
Cooperation – EuropeAid (DG DEVCO), Humanitarian aid (DG ECHO),
Enlargement (DG ENLARG)
• Provides external representation of the Union (except for CFSP and other cases)
e.g. EU is represented at the G8 by the presidents of the Commission and the
Council. in the WTO the EU is represented by the Trade Commissioner
• Role as negotiator of international agreements outside CFSP (if agreement
covers both CFSP and non-CFSP matters, in a negotiating team with the HR)
• Executes the budget and manages programmes
www.crpe.ro
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The European Commission
The President:
...proposed by the European Council (QMV),
elected by the Parliament (majority)…
...lays down guidelines for the Commission...
...appoints vice-presidents other than HR/VP..
...can dismiss commissioners...
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At the level of Heads of State and Government,
represents the EU for other EU policies than
the CFSP (the President of the European Council)
www.crpe.ro
José Manuel Durão Barroso
European Commission
President
2004-2014
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European Parliament
• Role in legislation and accountability
• Common commercial policy, development cooperation,
cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure (codecision). EP equal with the EU Council
• Need for parliamentary consent for almost all non-CFSP
international agreements; Power to influence agreements
• Consultation, information and reporting engagements of the
HR/VP and the EEAS.
www.crpe.ro
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