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EU’s External Action

Cristian Ghinea

Romanian Centre for European Policies (CRPE)

www.crpe.ro

• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) - Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)

But also• Trade policy• Development policy• Humanitarian aid policy• Enlargement policy

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EU’s External Action

www.crpe.ro

• 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) co-ordinated 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

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A bit of history

www.crpe.ro

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HR/VPEEAS

European Commission

represents ‘Union interest’

European Council

represents member states European Parliamentrepresents citizens

Council of Ministers

represents member states

The EU Institutions

• 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%.)

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Decision-making

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)

• 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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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)

Multi-tasked:• 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

• Ensures consistency and coordinates EU’s external action• Has an individual right of initiative but MS take the final policy decisions • Informs the European Parliament

Catherine Ashton

The High Representative (HR/VP)

www.crpe.ro

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•Assists the HR/VP Ashton• central administration in Brussels and about 138 EU delegations worldwide

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

www.crpe.ro

• 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

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EU Delegations

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• 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 programmeswww.crpe.ro

• 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...

• 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)

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José Manuel Durão BarrosoEuropean Commission

President 2004-2014

The European Commission

www.crpe.ro

• Role in legislation and accountability • Common commercial policy, development cooperation,

cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid - adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision). 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.

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European Parliament

www.crpe.ro