Coherence in European Union External Policy before and after the Lisbon Treaty: The Cases of Energy Security and Climate Change

The creation of the Treaty of Lisbon sparked high hopes for a greater level of coherence within the application of European Union (EU) external policies. Now, more than two years after its entry into force, the question remains to what extent the Treaty actually succeeded in fostering greater external unity. Through a systematic analysis of EU and Member State actions in the areas of EU external energy and climate policies, both prior and immediately after the Treaty's arrival, this article aims to critically evaluate whether Lisbon is able to live up to the initial expectations.