The European External Action Service: Antidote against Incoherence?

The literature on coherence in European Union (EU) external action often fails to consider coherence at the level of services. This contribution aims to complement the existing literature by considering coherence in EU external action in the post-Lisbon Treaty institutional setting, with a specific emphasis upon the role of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and its responsibilities in this context. The core argument is that a number of practical steps can be taken to enhance coherence in both its vertical and horizontal domains and that there is some urgency to this. Failure to do so will only lead to incoherence, not only at the level of services but also beyond.