The Impact of Institutional Change on Foreign Policy-Making: The Case of the EU Horn of Africa Strategy

Abstract

The EU's post-Lisbon institutional setting not only opens the possibility for a more coherent and comprehensive response to crises, but also poses the problem of coordination and cooperation among a number of independent actors at the EU and at the EU Member State levels as well as from the international donor community. Actors involved in foreign policy, development and humanitarian work have different agendas. The 'Joint Humanitarian-Development Framework approach' used as an example in this article aims at addressing this challenge, whereby EU staff in delegations, headquarters, as well as Member States, international organizations, development and humanitarian agencies, and national counterparts need to understand each other's perceptions, objectives and motivations in order to agree on a common framework for action. Drawing on inside evidence from the European Commission (DG DEVCO and DG ECHO) as well as the European External Action Service, the study aims at analysing the institutional interplay between the different actors involved in designing and implementing the EU's comprehensive approach to foreign and development policies.