Common Foreign and Security Policy, CFSP
The EU started as a common market designed to allow free movement of people and goods between European countries. Since then, the countries involved have agreed to have other common policies.
A Common Foreign and Security Policy was developed through the so-called "Pillar II" of the EU treaties. The principles of this were set out in Title V of the Nice Treaty.
The Lisbon Treaty strengthens the common foreign policy by establishing a joint foreign and defence office in the Charlemagne building in Brussels. In 2009 they started to recruit 7000 diplomats to the common service.
The office is named the "European External Action Service" and is based on Art. 27 TEU.
Within the CFSP the most important decisions were previously decided by unanimity voting. The Lisbon Treaty provides for qualified majority vote when the proposals are put forward by the "foreign minister".
- First, the European Council - the prime ministers - decide the strategic guidelines and the objectives for a common policy, with unanimity according to Art. 22.1 TEU.
- Then, the Foreign Minister - the High Representative - put forward a proposal, eventually together with the Commission, Art. 22.2 TEU.
- Finally, the Council of Ministers decides the concrete decisions and elections of "special representatives" with quailified majority - Art. 25.c TEU.
- When military involvement is involved the decisions must always be taken by unanimity - Art. 42.4 TEU.
- This system of decision making does also cover the representation in the UN, see where the Lisbon Treaty mentions the UN under United Nations.
Notes
- The EU Court in Luxembourg cannot rule against countries unwilling to implement the CFSP.
- European Defence and Security Policy is part of the CFSP, but is subject to different rules always requiring unanimity. See Defence.
- High Representative Javier Solana was appointed as common foreign affairs minister before the draft EU Constitution was rejected.
- The Lisbon Treaty took away his title of foreign minister, so Solana was still the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy until the new "foreign minister" was appointed and placed as Vice President in the Commission.
- The British longlife peer, Catherine Ashton, former head of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom has been appointed to the job in a special summit in Brussels, 19 December 2009.
- At present, the EU is represented externally by the Council presidency and the High Representative. Under the Lisbon Treaty, the post of High Representative is merged with that of the European Commissioner for External Relations under a new title of "High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy".
- The Lisbon Treaty provides for a double-hatted EU “Foreign Minister” appointed by the European Council, accepted by the EU Commission President and approved together with the rest of the Commission by the European Parliament as a vice-chair in the Commission responsible for Foreign Relations. This proposal was submitted by France and Germany.
- The 126 EU Commission delegations in other countries are now turned into EU embassies. For rules on common foreign policy, see the Lisbon Treaty Art.18 TEU and Art. 205 TFEU.
- In 2009 the institutions started to educate more than 500 civil servants to be part of the common dipliomatic service to be introduced formally after ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by all member states.
See also Defence and Political and Security Committee, PSC
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