The External Representation of the European Union: From Fragmentation to a Single European Voice?

The executive of the European Union (EU) is currently led by two Presidents: the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council. This double Presidency is the result of a compromise between the supranational and the intergovernmental schools of thoughts at the European Convention 2002/2003. However, in practice, the interplay of the two Presidents and their competencies, which are not always clearly separated by the provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, occasionally leads to inefficiencies or even conflict in the external representation of the EU. This is why former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker proposed, on 13 September 2017, to merge the functions of the two Presidents by always electing the President of the Commission as President of the European Council. The article explains the rationale of the Juncker proposal, which has the potential to make the EU easier to understand for its citizens and more efficient geopolitically, while overcoming the artificial distinction between national and European interests in the leadership of the Union. The current debate about the future of the EU and its more effective positioning in global affairs appears to be a good moment to look again at the Juncker proposal, which could be implemented without the need to change the Treaties.

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The European Union at the United Nations. The Functioning and Coherence of EU External Representation in a State-Centric Environment - Edited by Maximilian B. Rasch

European Law Journal ◽

10.1111/j.1468-0386.2009.00492_1.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 806-809

Author(s):

Christian N. K. Franklin

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

United Nations ◽

External Representation ◽

The European Union ◽

The United Nations

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eu External Representation Post-Lisbon: The Performance of eu Diplomacy in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine

The Hague Journal of Diplomacy ◽

10.1163/1871191x-13010035 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 75-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dorina Baltag

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Security Policy ◽

Performance Criteria ◽

External Representation ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Treaty Of Lisbon ◽

European Cooperation ◽

Foreign And Security Policy

Summary The European Union (eu) today has quasi-embassies at its disposal in third countries — the eu delegations — which represent the Union’s eyes, ears and face. Following the Treaty of Lisbon, these delegations assumed the role of the rotating Presidencies and oversee the conduct of eu diplomatic affairs. In practice, this implies representing the eu and cooperating with eu member states’ embassies on matters not only relevant for aid and trade, but also for foreign and security policy. By employing performance criteria such as effectiveness, relevance and capability, this article uncovers the particularities of the practices of European diplomatic cooperation among eu delegations and national embassies in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Minsk, Chisinau and Kiev from 2013-2016, the article explores practices of European cooperation abroad, shows how eu diplomatic actors identify a common approach and emphasizes certain capability issues faced by the eu in these countries.

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Of Presidents, High Representatives and European Commissioners – the external representation of the European Union seven years after Lisbon *

Europe and the World A law review ◽

10.14324/111.444.ewlj.2017.02 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Hoffmeister Frank

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Security Policy ◽

Case Law ◽

External Representation ◽

Layered System ◽

The European Union ◽

Environmental Negotiations ◽

European Court ◽

Foreign And Security Policy

The article reviews the external representation of the European Union. Hoffmeister first analyses the rules established by the Lisbon Treaty (2007). He emphasizes the division between the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and non-CFSP and the importance of the diplomatic level. Moreover, he interprets recent case law in which the European Court of Justice has given guidance to the Council and the Commission about their respective roles in policy-making and representation. The author then provides extensive case studies on Iran, Ukraine, trade negotiations and environmental negotiations to track down relevant practice of the last seven years. He concludes that Europe continues to operate a multi-layered system of external representation, where supra-national elements with a strong role of the Commission in important areas are combined with inter-governmental traits of a principal–agent relationship between the Council and its President or the High Representative.

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