The European Union as a global actor : policy making and representation in the area of external relations

Abstract

The European Union has been described and criticised by many of being an economic giant but a political dwarf or in the words of NATO's former Secretary General George Robertson, a "flabby giant". In my thesis I will first show that this was in fact the case. With limited instruments and even more limited political will, the Union has played a minor role in international affairs. Members of the Convention on the future of the EU agreed that it was "important for the EU to be a strong, effective and efficient player on the international scene" especially due to the fact that the Union's role in this sphere ''fell short of expectations, especially considering its economic and financial weight". This thesis examines whether - with an enlarged European Union and following the signing of the Constitutional Treaty - there exists now a political and administrative setup through which the Union may have a common foreign, security and defence policy. This thesis also examines the effects of the Union's legal personality vis-a-vis its external relations with issues such as representation in international organisations and the conclusion of international agreements by the Union on behalf of its Member States being given particular attention. Furthermore the famous question posed by Henry Kissinger in 1973: "If I want to talk to Europe, who do I phone?" is assessed throughout the thesis. Who does what and who represents Europe in the global arena? Therefore the various institutions', representatives', and the Member States' legal standing will be examined.