European Union Politics

1. European Union Politics Chapter 21 : External Relations Margaux Bia Alicia Dutrannoit Catarina Deraedt Caroline van der Rest

2. The EU is an important actor on the world stage… Why? - Its size, - Its resources, - And its ability to act in a united or at least coordinated manner.

3. There are four mains aspects to the EU's external relations : – Trade; – Foreign, security and defence; – Development; – The external dimension of internal policies.

4. §1) External Trade The Member States of the EU… • Form a united front to the world; • Act as one to contract trade agreements; • Have a unified internal market.

5. Trade Policies • Liberal trade policy • But - « special » national economic circumstances and political pressure - damaging consequences  Lack of uniformity.

6. Trade and trade-dominatedagreements Wide range of agreementsof differentforms: • Some are part of the EU's development cooperation policies • Some are not and can be distinguished in three main types: • Trade agreements : art. 207 TFEU • Trade and economic cooperation agreements : Combination of article 207 TFEU and another article. • Association agreements : 217 TFEU.  Aim: Open market access and varied forms of cooperation

7. Policy Processes • Trade Agreements were the responsibility of the Commission and the Council. • NOW, the Lisbon Treaty increased the role of the EP in the decision-making process.

8. Consequences: • Ordinarylegislativeprocedureisused; • EP = co-decisionmaker; • EP has greater powers to negociate and contract agreements; • EP's consent isneeded; • Various tensions betweenthe EU institutions.

9. §2) Foreign and defencepolicies • Resources and problems with their usage • The evolution of the EU's foreign and defence policy • Policy aims • Policy instruments • Policy processes

10. Resources and problems with their usage Disposal of considerable resources and need of and effective use obligation for the Member States to try to act in common whenever possible BUT difficulty for the EU to maximize its potential : - intergovernmental base - unanimity requirement much of the EU’s foreign and defence policy potential is unrealised EU = “soft” international power

11. The evolution of the EU's foreign and defencepolicy a) Foreign policy • MS cooperated with one another • Economic giant and political pygmy situation changed • Five factors have stimulated this change: - Ending of the Cold War and collapse of communism - German reunification - Gulf War - Break-up of Yugoslavia and EU's response to it - Treaties have provided for advances in EPC

12. b) Defencepolicy • Difficult area in which to develop EU inter-state cooperation HOWEVER engagement in these policies for the last 20 years : - early 1990s : tentative - end of the 1990s : reliance on the USA and need for a greater EU independent capability - 1998 : breaktrough with the Franco-British Summit • 3 types of policy : Soft security policy, Hard security policy and Defence policy

13. Policy aims • Aimsare based on generalguidingprinciples • Particular focus on cultivatingcooperative and stable relations withneighbouring states • Creation of EuropeanNeighbourhood Policy (ENP) • ENP'saim = place the EU'sbilateral relations withitsneighbourswithin a more coherent and orderedframework

14. Policy instruments Common strategies, joint actions and common positions + Art. 25 many instruments BUT mostly informal

15. Policy processes • CFSP has never been part of the « EU mainstream » • CFSP policyprocesses have displayed3 main distinctive features : • strongrole of Commission + the jurisdiction of the EU's Courts not extended to the CFSP - QMV available in the Council + role of the EP restricted • CFSP has itsown distinctive instiutionalposition

16. The European Council • responsible for the overall direction of the CFSP • Pronounceson foreignpolicy issues of currentconcern

17. The Council of Ministers = very heart of CFSP processes 1. The Foreign Affairs Council = meeting between Foreign ministers chaired by the High Representative main decision-making body of the CFSP 2. The Committee of Permanent Representatives 3. The Political and Security Committee 4. The Correspondents’ Group 5. Working groups

18. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy • 2 main institutional limitations of this post : • Commission continued to have an External Relations Commissioner  uncertainties regarding leadership + responsibilities • No independent powers

19. Attempt to tackle these problems : merging of the posts into « High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy » • Institutional position is complex

20. The Commission • «fully associated» in the foreign policy field BUT intergovernmental nature of the field Commission’s position is weakened internal organisational changes • Strengthened position thanks to the Lisbon Treaty

21. The EuropeanParliament • Onlyrole in CFSP decision-makingisduring the budgetaryprocedure

22. Embassies, delegations and missions Undermined role because of rapid international travel and communications

23. §3) Development Policy Policy content • Primary objective: reduction and eradication of poverty (art. 208 TFEU + 2005 Consensus on Development and its 8 MDGs). • Reasonsfor the EU’s engagement in development policy are threefold: historical, moral and economic. • Availableforms of assistance to the developing world in general: 1) Generalisedpreferences: preferentialtradingaccess to the EU market, 2) Food aid, 3) Emergency aid, 4) Aid to non-governmental organisations, + Cooperationagreements (Cotonou Partnership Agreement of 2000, with 79 ACP countries).

24. Policy processes Varyingactors and procedures: • Actors: - Foreign Affairs Counil - Commissioner for Development - Development DG (Directorate General) - EP Committee on Development - Diplomatic missions of developing countries in Brussels, accredited to the EU - EU delegation in developing countries • Decision-makingprocedures: Depend on the type of decision. - Declaration or Resolution (moves at its own pace) - Trade-only agreement (art. 207: QMV, EP) - Cooperation or association agreement (QMV or unanimity, EP)

25. §4) The external Dimension of InternalPolicies • Many internal policies have significant external dimensions • Theory of the implied external powers(associated with the principle of “parallelism” (power of negotiation and conclusion of international agreements): art. 216 TFEU) • EU is well prepared for negotiations with third parties, and is thus often able to exert a significant external policy influence in internal policy areas.

26. The Consistency and RepresentationalProblems • Ensuring consistency in the different areas of external relations is fundamental and has been a major problem. • Reasons why it can be difficult to ensure consistency: - Great spread of the EU’sexternal relations’ interests and activities; - Diversity of actors and processesinvolved; - Differingpowers of the EU (particularlywhensharedcompetences); - Conflicting orientations and preferences of MS; - Varyinglevels of EU policydevelopment.

27. Procedures, mechanisms and arrangements exist to try and maximise consistency: - Ex: coordinating structure in the Commission (Commissioners’ RelexGroup; Directors General Relex Group; Inter-service groups) - High Representative post, introduced by art. 21 TFEU

28. ConcludingRemarks • The EU is a partially constructed international actor: • Major influence in respect of trade policy; • Significant influence in terms of development, environment and other policies; • Modest but growing influence in respect of foreign and defence policies. • Central question: will the EU advance from being a modest player to becoming a major player in the foreign and defence policy fields?  Requirement of a stronger collective politicalwill;  No pessimism: insurmountablebarriers have been removed in recentyears…

29. Thankyou for your attention !