International Agreements in the Area of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy

Abstract

The conclusion of international agreements is a part of a wider framework of interactions between the European Union (EU) and the third countries. The principle of openness which underpins the security and defence role of the EU is tied in with the commitment to effective multilateralism. It is also spelled out in the Lisbon Treaty as one of the objectives of the EU's external action. This chapter provides an overview of the treaty-making activity of the EU in the area of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), and the constitutional, procedural and substantive issues which this raises. It is structured in two main sections. The first discusses the procedure which governs the negotiation and conclusion of international agreements in the area, and the second suggests a typology of the existing agreements and explores some of the substantive issues raised by their drafting and application. Keywords:Common Security andDefence Policy (CSDP); international agreements; Lisbon Treaty