A Minister for a European foreign policy

Abstract:

Following an increasing appeal by the European public opinion for a stronger and more common EU foreign and defence policy, considerable progress has been made in consolidating the capacity of the Union to act more effectively in both classical foreign policy fields and on defence and security issues. Yet responsibilities remain shared among governments, the Union and NATO, and within the Union between different institutions, notably the Council and the Commission.

It was the desire to develop the Union's capacity that led the Convention 0n the future of Europe and the members of the 2003-04 Intergovernmental Conference to propose important changes to the operating system of the Union in the Constitutional Treaty. At the centre of these proposals was the plan to create the post of Foreign Minister of the Union and to create in support of this post an integrated External Action Service. The author explores in careful detail the debate about the proposed Union Foreign Minister and how the post might be developed in the future.

• Alternative Source 1
• Alternative Source 2