Common Foreign and Security Policy
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The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is the organised, agreed
The CFSP sees the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as responsible for the territorial defence of Europe and reconciliation. However, since 1999, the European Union is responsible for implementing missions such as peacekeeping and policing of treaties. A phrase often used to describe the relationship between the EU forces and NATO is "separable, but not separate".[1] The same forces and capabilities form the basis of both EU and NATO efforts, but portions can be allocated to the European Union if necessary.
History
Common Foreign and Security Policy | |
---|---|
EPC ← 1993–2009 → EU |
1957–1993
Co-operation in international trade negotiations, under the
1993–2009: Pillar system
The weaknesses evident in EPC, apparent, for example during the
The
2009–present: Consolidation
The
Objectives
According to Article J.1 of title V of the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union defines and implements a common foreign and security policy that covers all areas of foreign and security policy, the objectives of which are to:
- Safeguard the common values, fundamental interests, independence and integrity of the United Nations Charter;
- Strengthen the security of the Union in all ways;
- Preserve peace and strengthen international security, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter, as well as the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the objectives of the Paris Charter, including those on external borders;
- Promote international co-operation;
- Develop and consolidate democracy and the freedoms.
Elements
Types of policy
The European Council defines the principles and general guidelines for the CFSP as well as common strategies to be implemented by the EU. On the basis of those guidelines the Council of Ministers adopts joint actions or common positions. Joint actions address specific situations where operation action by the EU is considered necessary and lay down the objectives, scope and means to be made available to the EU. They commit the member states. Common positions on the other hand, define the approach that the EU takes on a certain matter of geographical or thematic nature, and define in the abstract the general guidelines to which the national policies of Member states must conform.
High Representative
The High Representative, in conjunction with the President of the European Council, speaks on behalf of the EU in agreed foreign policy matters and can have the task of articulating ambiguous policy positions created by disagreements among member states. The Common Foreign and Security Policy requires unanimity among the 27 member states on the appropriate policy to follow on any particular policy. Disagreements in CFSP, such as those that occurred over the war in Iraq,[6] are not uncommon.
The High Representative also coordinates the work of the
Bodies
There are a number of bodies set up within the context of the CFSP. Within the council, there is the
The European Defence Agency (EDA) encourages increase in defence capabilities, military research and the establishment of a European internal market for military technology. Two bodies carried over from the Western European Union (see defence, below) are the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and the European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC). The EUISS is the European Union's in-house think tank. Its mission is to find a common security culture for the EU, to help develop and project the CFSP, and to enrich Europe's strategic debate. The EUSC is providing analysis of satellite imagery and collateral data.[8]
Defence policy
The
Article 42.2 of TEU states that the CSDP includes the 'progressive framing' of a common Union defence policy, and will lead to a common defence, when the European Council of national heads of state or government, acting unanimously, so decides.
When participating in CSDP missions abroad for peace-keeping, conflict prevention and strengthening international security in accordance with the principles of the
The Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), currently Josep Borrell, is responsible for proposing and implementing CSDP decisions. Such decisions are taken by the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), generally requiring unanimity.
The CSDP organisation, headed by the HR/VP, comprises relevant sections of the External Action Service (EEAS) – including the operational headquarters (MPCC) of the Military Staff (EUMS) – a number of FAC preparatory bodies – such as the Military Committee (EUMC) – as well as four Agencies, including the Defence Agency (EDA). Since 2017, the CSDP has also been facilitated by a defence fund and a Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD).
Neutrality
Although the Irish people were reassured of their neutrality before agreeing to the
Mr Pflüger described Finland as neutral. I must correct him on that: Finland is a member of the EU. We were at one time a politically neutral country, during the time of the Iron Curtain. Now we are a member of the Union, part of this community of values, which has a common policy and, moreover, a common foreign policy.
Nevertheless, a similar guarantee on neutrality in relation to the Treaty of Lisbon was granted to Ireland at the European Council of 18/19 June 2009:
The European Council also agreed that other concerns of the Irish people, as presented by the Taoiseach, relating to taxation policy, the right to life, education and the family, and Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality, would be addressed to the mutual satisfaction of Ireland and the other Member States, by way of the necessary legal guarantees.[12]
Stopping humanitarian atrocities
EU foreign policy is committed to the protection of human rights. Research suggests that rhetoric along these lines from EU decision-makers is consistent with actual EU foreign policy activity.[13][14] Military and economic interventions by the EU are consistently more likely in countries where violence explicitly targets civilians.[13] Likewise, human rights sanctions are consistently applied against states responsible for human rights violations.[14] Geostrategic concerns also influence EU action, as the EU has been "most attentive to human rights violations in non-EU European states, followed by countries in sub-Saharan Africa, while it has been least active in Asia and the Americas".[13]
European Peace Facility
The European Peace Facility (EPF) is an off-budget EU financing instrument set up in March 2021, aiming towards the delivering of military aid to partner countries and funding the deployment of EU military missions abroad under the CFSP.
Counterterrorism policy
The European Union considers to be terrorist organisations those groups or those entities that are controlled directly or indirectly by persons who commit or attempt to commit terrorist acts, participating in these groups, or facilitating the execution of terrorist plans. It also includes defining those groups and entities acting on behalf or under the direction of such persons, groups and entities, including funds derived or generated from property owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such persons or by associated persons, groups and entities. The watch list was reviewed for the Law Library of Congress in 2007.[15]
The European Union gives a definition of terrorism as Common Position 2001/931/CFSP of 27 December 2001,[16] also referred to by successive acts. It highlights them as intentional acts which, given their nature or context as defined crimes under domestic law, may seriously harm a State or an international organization when committed for the purpose of:
- seriously intimidating a population
- unduly compelling a Government or international organization to perform or abstain from performing any act
- seriously destabilizing or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social constructs
List of terrorist organisations
The list of terrorist organisations was started in 2001 with the 13 organisations listed on 27 December of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP.
Outside the CFSP
Besides its own foreign and security policy, the commission is also gaining greater representation in international bodies. Representation in international bodies is previously through the
In the
The influence of the EU is also felt through the enlargement. The potential benefits of becoming a member of the EU act as an incentive for both political and economic reform in states wishing to fulfil the EU's accession criteria, and are considered a major factor contributing to the reform and stabilisation of former Communist countries in Eastern Europe.[24] This influence on the internal affairs of other countries is generally referred to as "soft power", as opposed to military "hard power".[25]
An example of the support the European Union offers to the reform processes of its neighbours is EUBAM, the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine, which assists the governments of Moldova and Ukraine in approximating their border and customs procedures to EU standards.
The European Union's influential economic status and its nation-like characteristics has been acknowledged by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in their publication The World Factbook. The EU was included in the Factbook in December 2004.[26]
Humanitarian aid
The
The EU's aid has previously been criticised by the think-tank
References
- ^ "Military Reform Project". cdi.org. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ "Qualified-Majority Voting: Common commercial policy". The European commission. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
- ^ "European political co-operation (EPC)". Europa Glossary. The European commission. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
- ^ By Article 11 of the Maastricht Treaty.
- ^ "Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) – Overview". European Commission. 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- ^ "Divided EU agrees Iraq statement". Europa (web portal). 27 January 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- ^ Political and Security Committee (PSC), "Role", https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/preparatory-bodies/political-security-committee/
- ^ European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC), "What we do", https://www.satcen.europa.eu/what-we-do/our-services
- ^ Article 42, Treaty on European Union
- S2CID 153388488.
- ^ European Parliament Debate (English Translation) europarl.europa.eu
- ^ "Conclusions, Brussels, 18/19 June 2009" (PDF). Presidency.
- ^ S2CID 154325236.
- ^ S2CID 248280119.
- ^ Directorate of Legal Research (June 2007). "European Union: Lists of Terrorist Persons or Organizations" (PDF). The Law Library of Congress. LL File No. 2007-03957. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2017.
- ^ a b "COUNCIL COMMON POSITION of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism".
- ^ "europa.eu: "Declaration by the EU Presidency on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism" (Brussels: 31 March 2006)". Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "Combating terrorism – Restrictive measures against certain persons and entities. Brussels, 31 May 2006 9974/06 (Presse 165)" (PDF). statewatch.org.
- ^ COUNCIL COMMON POSITION 2005/847/CFSP of 29 November 2005 updating Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism and repealing Common Position 2005/725/CFSP
- ^ "EU heading for single UN seat, UN official says". EU Observer. 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- ^ "EU and the G8". European Commission delegation to Japan. Archived from the original on 26 February 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
- S2CID 154113747.
- ^ "European Commission – External Trade – Trade Issues". European Commission. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
- ^ Bildt, Carl (2005). "Europe must keep its 'soft power'". Financial Times on Centre for European Reform. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
- ^ Directorate of Intelligence (16 December 2004). "CIA – The World Factbook 2004: What's new (mirror)". Retrieved 14 February 2007.
- ^ "DG for humanitarian aid – ECHO, financial report 2006" (PDF). European Commission. 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ^ a b "Commission calls for a European consensus to boost impact of humanitarian aid". European Commission. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ^ Mulvey, Stephen (30 May 2007). "EU attacked for 'inefficient' aid". BBC News. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ^ Taylor, Jerome (11 May 2007). "EU accused of artificially inflating its aid figures". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 12 August 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ^ "Overviews of the European Union activities: Development". European Commission. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
Further reading
- Dieter Mahncke (ed.), Peter Lang, European foreign policy – from rhetoric to reality ?, 2004, ISBN 90-5201-247-4.
- S. Kekeleire, J. MacNaughtan, The Foreign Policy of the European Union. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008, ISBN 978-1-4039-4722-2.
- J. bie, Europe's Global Role: External Policies of the European Union. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7546-7721-5.
- C. Hill, M. Smith (eds.), International Relations and the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-19-927348-5.
- C. Bretherton, J. Vogler, The European Union as a Global Actor. London: Routledge, 2006. ISBN 978-0-415-28245-1
- Guicherd, Catherine, L'investissement de l'UE dans la sécurité collective en Afrique centrale : un pari risqué. Paris, Institute d'Etudes de Sécurité de l'Union Européenne, 2012. Occasional Paper – 15 May 2012
- D Seah, "The CFSP as an aspect of conducting foreign relations by the United Kingdom: With special reference to the Treaty of Amity & Cooperation in Southeast Asia". International Review of Law 2015.
- G. Butler "Constitutional Law of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy". Oxford: Hart Publishing/Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN 978-1-50992-594-0.
- U. Weiss and J. Agassi "The Game Theory of the European Union versus the Pax Romana, "DePaul Law Review".
- G. Arcudi, M.E. Smith, The European Gendarmerie Force: a solution in search of problems?, European Security, 22:1, 1–20, 2013. DOI: 10.1080/09662839.2012.747511
External links
- EU website – Foreign and Security Policy
- von Ondarza, Nicolai (2008). "EU Military Deployment – An Executive Prerogative" (PDF). German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin.]
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(help)[dead link - European Parliament Resolution on progress in implementing the common foreign and security policy European Navigator
- European Union Institute for Security Studies
- Online Resource Guide to EU Foreign Policy
- Press releases archive, CFSP