The New EU ‘Foreign Policy’ System after Lisbon: A Work in Progress

This article starts with an overview of the main changes that the Lisbon Treaty brings to the domain of foreign affairs and external relations. The main focus of the analysis, however, lies in the actual implementation of the key provisions related to the role of the High Representative (HR)/Vice-President (VP) and, in particular, the set-up and functioning of the fledgling European External Action Service (EEAS). Finally, this article raises a number of questions about the way in which this new ‘architecture’ might and/or should contribute to improving on the position and action of the EU on the international scene.