The European Union as an actor in International Relations
- Sous-rubriques :
- European Institutions of security
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In Obama’s shadow ? Europe’s role in Obama’s Middle East
AFRI 2010, Volume XI
par - 15 November 2010In the immediate aftermath of his inauguration, Barack Obama promised to pursue a new approach in the Middle East, one that would decisively break the established pattern of US foreign policies in the region. Yet, one year later, Obama’s Middle East policy remains a work in progress and it seems increasingly unlikely that the new US President be both able and willing to achieve a breakthrough in this tormented region. This article assesses US policies in the Middle East during the first year of the Obama administration and their impact on the EU’s position in the Middle East.
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Le Consensus européen sur l’aide humanitaire. La légitimité communautaire en question.
AFRI 2010, Volume XI
par - 15 November 2010Principal bailleur humanitaire, l’Union européenne a adopté le 13 juin 2007 un Consensus européen sur l’aide humanitaire. Ce premier document politique sur l’action humanitaire européenne a été adopté très rapidement, en un an, et a fait l’objet de larges consultations avec les partenaires opérationnels que sont les ONG, les agences onusiennes et le monde Croix-Rouge. Cette déclaration commune est ambitieuse, puisqu’elle tente de définir, dans un contexte humanitaire changeant, les priorités de l’action humanitaire communautaire : la promotion des principes et du droit international humanitaires, la cohérence et la coordination entre les différentes politiques extérieures de l’UE, l’amélioration de la qualité de l’aide, ainsi que le renforcement des partenariats et des capacités de réponse. Cependant, face aux imprécisions et au manque de clarté du texte, il est à craindre que les principes de neutralité et d’indépendance qui régissent l’action humanitaire communautaire soient menacés.
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Europe’s response to global energy challenges. Towards a real European energy community ?
AFRI 2010, Volume XI
par - 15 November 2010In the unstable energy landscape of the XXIst century, Europe is now faced with energy issues on an unprecedented scale. Thus, a prominent question for the European Union is how current developments can affect the numerous and wide energy issues of today and tomorrow. The evolution of Europe’s energy policy has become a major long-term geopolitical, economic, environmental and social concern for the Union. A comprehensive energy policy would allow the European Union to play a more effective leading international role with respect to its energy partners worldwide. However, it remains difficult to see the European Union as a vast homogeneous block of consuming and importation, since national energy sectors and policies of the Member States reflect high levels of disparity and asymmetry. Numerous factors that block the creation of a genuine common energy policy and doubts over the current capacity of the EU and its Member States to meet their challenges lead us to ask whether the Union possesses the necessary foundations to conduct such a common energy policy.
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Introduction - FORCES ET FAIBLESSES DE L’ACTION INTERNATIONALE DE L’EUROPE
AFRI 2009, Volume X
par - 29 July 2010Quarante ans après les premiers pas timides de la Communauté européenne sur la scène internationale, le profil de cet acteur hors du commun reste des plus incertains. La multiplication des acteurs qui parlent en son nom y contribue. L’activisme de la présidence française au cours du second semestre 2008 a montré certes qu’un acteur décidé pouvait profiter d’un contexte favorable pour s’affirmer dans des situations difficiles. Cela étant, il est encore un peu tôt pour dire quels seront les effets à long (...) -
Moving beyond the dead end of economic partnership agreements. Advocating ACP States initiative at the WTO
AFRI 2009, Volume X
par , - 19 January 2010A year after the deadline agreed upon by ACP States and the Commission for the conclusion of EPA, negotiations are still under way. This article examines one the major reasons for this failure : the inadequacy between the chosen liberalisation mode and the development objective. Indeed, this approach summons four major problems: the difficulty of choosing, at a regional scale, products that will be entitled to protection as exceptions, price losses related to the suppression of most custom duties, the hazard of trade diversions that would allow European companies to benefit from a peculiar advantage without lowering prices for ACP consumers, and the obstacle to diversification provoked by a radical but selective liberalisation. Thus, the present article suggests that ACP countries take an initiative, at the multilateral scale, by obtaining through concessions the authorization to reduce and not suppress custom duties on their EU importations, on all products, and not only on 80 % as established.
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‘New’ member States and the European Neighbourhood Policy
AFRI 2009, Volume X
par - 19 January 2010Analysing the participation of « new » member States to the EU during the creation and the evolution of the European Neighbourhood Policy not only shows that Europe’s enlargement has influenced the candidates’ foreign policy between 2004 and 2007, but that the latter’s foreign policy conceptions have progressively been able to fit in the EU’s foreign relations. This process has begun even before the date of official membership. The new member States’ foreign policy is characterised by very heterogeneous attitudes, in spite of their interest for sometimes common themes. Beyond the 1989 divide, there still lay elements of continuity with the past that should definitely be given more importance when launching sub-regional initiatives such as Black Sea Synergy or the Eastern Partnership.
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Member States and the EU’s representation abroad
AFRI 2009, Volume X
par - 19 January 2010In 2008, France and Slovenia have both presided over the European Union Council. They have thus represented this political organisation on the international stage on numerous occasions: declarations issued in the field of foreign policy or negotiations with third party countries. The EU’s revolving presidency entails, among other functions, being a flagship for Europe beyond its borders. Yet, the presidency is not the only one to play that part. Indeed, the EU’s representation abroad is notable for its shared quality. Three figures are currently performing it: the Commission, The ECSP High Representative and the Council presidency, which is the only national element. In other words, thus State representation within the triad embodies the embryonic multilateralisation of European diplomacy. Through the study of the case of local consular cooperation, this article analyses the EU’s foreign representation system, while emphasizing its multimodal character and the resulting difficulties concerning the construction of a converging diplomatic (administrative and political) environment.
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Introduction - L’Union européenne, acteur des relations internationales : les incertitudes de l’Europe politique
AFRI 2008, volume IX
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Europe and the second war in Lebanon. The first steps of a civil power?
AFRI 2008, volume IX
par - 24 July 2008The second war in Lebanon, which took place in summer 2006, gave Europeans the opportunity to strengthen their influence in the Middle East. During the thirty-three days of warfare, which partially destroyed Lebanon, the European Union remained on the fringe of international negotiations, whereas several member States were particularly involved in the conflict, be it on a military ground or a diplomatic one. Uncomfortable with the political exercise of crisis management, because it lacked a strong and coherent voice, the Union provided, however, a remarkable support to the country’s stabilisation and rebuilding. The shaping of a “Europe of defence” and the promotion of the image of the Union as a “kind power” were both fuelled by the various capacities the EU mobilized during the war and in its aftermath. Yet, the EU is still struggling to be recognized as real power in regional issues. But it may meet new opportunities to play a role, thanks to the present failures of the American strategy to “reshape the Middle East”.
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European Union as a global democracy agent
AFRI 2008, volume IX
par - 24 July 2008Democracy promotion is often perceived as an American project. Yet, the European Union (EU) is also committed to spread democracy in the world. In spite of varied means and a geographically boundless policy, EU’s sole instance of real success in this regard is post-communist Europe: there, democracy promotion has been linked with EU’s enlargement policy. Yet, Europe’s current « enlargement fatigue » and the fight against terrorism render the European policy of democracy promotion in Turkey or in North African countries harder to achieve. The current context, in which many Western governments have reduced civil liberties in their own countries for security reasons, as well as some disturbing evolutions on the democratic front in several European countries, undermine the positive model influence of the West on other States. Thus, it is time for a fundamental re-thinking of the democracy promotion project.