5 - The European Union's Role in the World

Summary

Introduction

The European Union has gradually built up a role for itself on the global economic and political stage. From forging bilateral agreements strictly of an economic nature that emphasize trade and development assistance, it has moved on to a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

The pursuance of the European Union's interests has been supplemented by an effort to shoulder responsibility for global economic and political development. The guidelines are the principles shaping the European integration and the foundations for the individual nation states. Some observers confine the European Union's foreign and security policy to so-called soft policy instruments (economics, trade, culture, persuasion, and appeal to common sense/moderation plus political maturity). This is, to a certain extent, correct as Afghanistan, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean illustrate. The European Union does not possess the military capability to project power abroad, unlike the United States. Shortcomings are visible, almost glaring, in cases where the European Union has encountered opponents that neither share these principles, nor wish to play on the basis of compromise, consensus, and conciliation.

The European Union plays a vital role in global trade policy. There are three reasons for that of which one is about substance and the other two rest on institutional/procedural grounds.

Firstly, the European Union is the world's largest trading partner.

Secondly, the European Union was originally built around economics and trade; sovereignty was pooled and exercised in common, allowing the European Union to represent member states in the trade area.

Thirdly, it acts on behalf of all member states. If no mandate for the Commission is agreed, no member state can act on its own. Absence of an EU decision does not open the door for individual action by member states, but leads to no action at all.

The exact opposite is true for foreign and security policy. The ambition is to act in common. The European Union takes action and the individual member states do not. But in case of disagreement preventing an EU common position, the door is open for individual member states to act — which they do.