Foreign relations of the European Union

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

European Union

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the European Union

Three pillars Pillar I: European Community Pillar II: Common Foreign and Security Policy Pillar III: Police and Judicial Cooperation Political institutions Commission President  (José Barroso) Barroso Commission Council of Ministers and European Council Presidency  (Finland) Parliament President  (Josep Borrell) MEPs Constituencies Elections 2009 2004 / by country Party groups Committees Judiciary Court of Justice List of members Court of First Instance Civil Service Tribunal Finance auditing European Court of Auditors Financial bodies European Central Bank European Investment Bank European Investment Fund Advisory bodies Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions Decentralised bodies Agencies of the EU Law Acquis communautaire Procedure Treaties Regulations · Directives · Decisions Recommendations · Opinions EU-related topics Economic and monetary union Enlargement Foreign relations Pan-European political parties Table of affiliated parties by country Party affiliations on the Council

Other countries • Politics Portal view • talk • edit

This article is about the Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar foreign relations. For general article on EU foreign relationships see Third country relationships with the European Union

As a partly integrated supernational community, the European Union and its member states are still largely running their own foreign affairs. However there are several areas where member states coordinate their actions according to a common policy.

Both the established EU institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg, as well as each of the 25 member states, take influence in the formation of a foreign policy of the European Union.

Apart from the President of the European Commission himself, there is a European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs appointed for external relations (currently Benita Ferrero-Waldner). She coordinates the EU member states positions, as necessary and where possible. Also there is the post of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy currently held by Javier Solana.

The member states are more influential, in particular France and Germany - being the self-proclaimed "core of Europe" - often at times attempt to direct a common EU foreign policy, at times with the neglect of the interests of some of the smaller member states. The United Kingdom with its established national relations to many regions in the world is often at times in disagreement with other EU member states, notably France.

[edit] See also

• Common Foreign and Security Policy
• Enlargement of the European Union
• Euro-American relations
• Euro-Mediterranean free trade area
• European Neighbourhood
• European Union arms embargo on China
• European Union-Russia Common Spaces
• European Union-Turkey Customs Union
• Transatlantic relations
• Third country economic relationships with the European Union

[edit] Foreign relations of member states

Foreign relations of Austria Foreign relations of Belgium Foreign relations of Cyprus Foreign relations of the Czech Republic Foreign relations of Denmark Foreign relations of Estonia Foreign relations of Finland Foreign relations of France Foreign relations of Germany Foreign relations of Greece Foreign relations of Hungary Foreign relations of Ireland Foreign relations of Italy

Foreign relations of Latvia Foreign relations of Lithuania Foreign relations of Luxembourg Foreign relations of Malta Foreign relations of the Netherlands Foreign relations of Poland Foreign relations of Portugal Foreign relations of Slovakia Foreign relations of Slovenia Foreign relations of Spain Foreign relations of Sweden Foreign relations of the United Kingdom