Common foreign and security policy — Global strategy

 

SUMMARY OF:

Shared vision, common action: a stronger Europe — A global strategy for the European Union’s foreign and security policy

Treaty on European Union — Article 25

Treaty on European Union — Article 28

Treaty on European Union — Article 29

Treaty on European Union — Article 30

Treaty on European Union — Article 31

Treaty on European Union — Article 37

Treaty on European Union — Article 41

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE STRATEGY AND THE TREATY ARTICLES?

• The global strategy sets out the EU’s core interests and principles for engaging with the rest of the world and aims to give the EU a shared vision and collective sense of direction.
• The treaty articles set out the principles, mechanisms and procedures for carrying out the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP).

KEY POINTS

The global strategy aims to make the EU more effective in confronting various challenges, including:

• energy security
• migration
• climate change
• violent extremism and
• hybrid threats*.

The global strategy sets out five broad priorities, as endorsed by the Council in October 2016.

• 1.

  The security and defence priority aims to improve the protection of the EU and of its citizens, help governments jointly build military capacity, and develop a better response to crises.

  • Actions to improve EU security include the European defence action plan and the implementation plan on security and defence.
• 2.

  Building state and societal resilience by supporting good governance and accountable institutions and by working closely with civil society. Support will focus on the EU’s surrounding regions to the south and to the east.

• 3.

  An integrated approach to conflicts and crises through being fully engaged in all stages of conflict and through a coherent use of all policies at the EU’s disposal at different levels of governance.

• 4.

  Cooperative regional orders will support voluntary forms of regional governance worldwide, allowing states and peoples the opportunity to:

  • better manage security concerns;
  • reap the economic gains of globalisation;
  • express more fully cultures and identities; and
  • project influence in world affairs.
• 5.

  Rules-based global governance: honouring its commitment to a rules-based multilateral international order, the EU aims to reform, transform and expand this system.

  • As well as living up to its obligations on existing initiatives such as the Paris Agreement and the sustainable development goals, the EU will support the expansion of their membership, universalisation, full implementation and enforcement.

BACKGROUND

• The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is responsible for conducting the CFSP supported by the European External Action Service.
• For further information see:
  • EU global strategy (European External Action Service).

KEY TERMS

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Shared vision, common action: a stronger Europe — A global strategy for the European Union’s foreign and security policy, 28 June 2016

The European Union’s global strategy — Three years on, looking forward, 13 June 2019

Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions:

Article 25 (ex Article 12 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 31)

Article 28 (ex Article 14 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 32)

Article 29 (ex Article 15 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 33)

Article 30 (ex Article 22 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 33)

Article 31 (ex Article 23 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 33-34)

Article 37 (ex Article 24 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 36)

Article 41 (ex Article 28 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 37-38)

last update 08.09.2020