EU foreign policy: From bystander to actor

If Europe's leaders want the EU to play a meaningful role in global diplomacy, they must implement a series of fundamental reforms. At a minimum, they should abolish the rotating presidency, create a new Foreign Policy Council and give a right of initiative to the High Representative for foreign policy, currently Javier Solana. The EU must also learn to use its wide-ranging set of instruments - such as policies on trade, aid and migration - to support a clear political strategy. In particular, it should increasingly make its financial assistance conditional upon recipient countries respecting international standards on good governance, democratisation and non-proliferation.