The High Representative, the President and the Commission—Competing Players in the EU’s External Relations: The Case of Crisis Management

Abstract

In its aim to become a global security actor, the European Union (EU) is increasingly engaged in civilian and military crisis management missions all over the world. According to its comprehensive approach to crisis management, these missions are not the only means by which conflicts can be addressed. The EU has a long-standing tradition of using instruments such as trade agreements, development aid and economic sanctions to promote its values to the outside world. However, this comprehensive approach to crisis management can only be successful if the EU is able to provide coherent international action. This chapter will assess whether the new institutions of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy that will be assisted by the European External Action Service, and the permanent President of the Council will be able to provide the EU with more effective and coherent external relations. It will be argued that although the High Representative from now on links the Council with the Commission which appears to be the key to a more efficient policy, some serious problems still lie ahead. These problems are likely to arise due to the continuing difficulties in the delimitation of competences between different policy fields of the European Union that have foreign policy implications.