About: CFSP

Estonian ambassador: Trump is right, Europe should pay for own defence

Estonian Ambassador to Poland Harri Tiido explained the priorities of his country’s EU Presidency and talked about the current challenges facing Europe, in an interview with EURACTIV.pl.

Mogherini sees EU military HQ ‘within days’

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said Thursday (18 May) remaining differences over a planned military headquarters had been resolved and it could be formally launched in a few days.

Institutions start discussing way forward after ECHR setback

More than a year after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) blocked the EU’s efforts to sign up to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the European Parliament hosted a meeting with representatives of the institutions yesterday (20 April) to discuss the way forward.

Europe and Pakistan: Neither autocracy or theocracy

Whether the Taliban reasserts control within its borders and across them, what happens in Pakistan really matters to Europe and the rest of the world, writes Richard Howitt.

Germany: EU to strengthen sanctions against Syria

The European Union is likely to adopt fresh sanctions against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the coming week, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.

Parliament mellows on EU diplomatic service

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is to become official after the summer recess and start recruiting in autumn, it became clear after a key European Parliament committee gave its green light yesterday (6 July) to the EU's diplomatic service.

Two new leaders in search of a job description

Although the EU has appointed its first permanent president of the Council and High Representative for Foreign Affairs, "the question of precisely what powers they will exercise remains largely unknown, as it is not yet clear how they will perform as individuals and in tandem," write Piotr Kaczy?ski and Peadar ó Broin of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in a November paper.

EU warned about transatlantic ‘illusions’

As Europe starts putting together its new diplomatic service, it needs to emancipate itself from US foreign policy and start speaking with one voice if it is to avoid slipping into irrelevance, British and US experts said on Tuesday (24 November).

Think tank warns against EU diplomatic turf wars

The future EU diplomatic service, to be launched with the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, is unlikely to bridge fundamental differences between EU nations when it comes to foreign policy, according to a Swedish think thak.

EU Treaty’s impact on defence policy remains unclear

The Lisbon Treaty will strengthen the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) but the scope of the changes will very much depend on the composition of the new troika to be appointed in 2009, according to MEPs and experts participating in a European Parliament workshop.

Candidate list for new EU top job gets longer

Tony Blair, Jean-Claude Juncker, Jose-Maria Aznar, Aleksander Kwasniewski and now Bertie Ahern: the Irish Taoiseach has recently joined the list of potential candidates for the newly-created post of EU president in 2009.

Iran-EU talks: ‘Positive but inconclusive’

"Important progress" was made during two days of talks between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, but nothing was officially agreed concerning Iran's controversial uranium-enrichment programme.

Iran: Solana upbeat about nuclear talks

Constructive talks, centring around a two-month uranium-enrichment freeze, encourage Javier Solana to push for more meetings. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has given the development a cautious welcome.

EU postpones Iran sanctions decision

Diplomacy must be given yet another chance before a decision on sanctions, EU foreign ministers decide, as Solana is sent to Teheran for more talks. 

EU demands “cessation of hostilities” in Lebanon

EU foreign ministers stopped short of asking for an immediate cease fire, but they agreed on the need for a political settlement before sending in a peacekeeping force.

EU nations ready for Lebanon peacekeeping force

France, Germany, Italy and Greece have signaled interest in joining a peace force. Solana sees European involvement as a 'real possibility'  

Analysis: Tensions in EU External Relations Competences

In a policy-oriented analysis, Dr Simon Duke (EIPA, Maastricht) looks at conflicts of competences and “grey areas” between the Community and the more ‘intergovernmental pillars’ on which the Union establishes its external relations - and how to remedy them.

Analysis: A portrait of the Union in a puzzling state of mind

This issue of "EU-25 Watch" addresses key issues and challenges to European integration.  The internet study was published by Barbara Lippert and Timo Goosmann of the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP)  in Berlin within the framework of EU-CONSENT a "Network of Excellence". It  sheds light on key issues like the "Lisbon process" or the "role of the EU in the World".  The analysis is based on reports by institutes from all 25 EU members states as well as from the four acceeding/ candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey.

EU appoints special peace co-ordinator to Sudan

The EU has stepped up its engagement in Sudan by appointing the former Finnish development minister Pekka Haavisto as its special representative in the war-torn country.

Brussels prepares for international Iraq conference

An international conference on Iraq on 22 June will be attended by an – even by Brussels standards - extraordinarily high-ranking group of senior political leaders.

Solana sees coherent EU foreign policy ahead

The adoption of the Constitution is as important to the future of EU foreign policy as the Maastricht treaty was to the Euro, says Javier Solana. 

Failing States and the EU’s security agenda

This report from a high level seminar organised by the Institute for Security Studies, debates what consequences the EU should draw from the conclusion in the European Security Strategy that 'failing states' is one of the 'key threats' confronting Europe. 

EU ministers give defence plans a boost

EU defence ministers want to step up efforts to secure the EU's planned military capacity and agree to include smaller EU nations in battlegroups. 

EU offers a diplomatic hand in negotiations with North Korea

As US officials stress the threat of nuclear missile action by North Korea, and the United Nations assesses possible sanctions against the country, the EU's foreign policy representative offers diplomatic assistance in ending the nuclear stand-off.