The impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the EU's CFSP : the Mediterranean dimension

Abstract

Against the geopolitical backdrop of the 1990s including the end of the Cold War, Member States started to equip themselves with a new instrument - the CFSP. From the TEU onwards this policy has undergone numerous reforms, most importantly the development of ESDP i.e. the military arm of the CFSP. Meanwhile, the EU has been a key leader in its relations with non-member states around the world especially after the Cold War particularly with its neighbouring countries including the Mediterranean region. In order to enhance its relations with the Mediterranean Countries, it has initiated a number of policies such as the GMP, RMP, the EMP and ENP although some of them have failed due to a number of obstacles encountered. However, they served as a forum for dialogue to many conflicts, disputes and problems occurring in this region. On the other hand, with the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty it has brought a number of reforms and has changed the CFSP and ESDP mainly in two ways: its structure of the EU's policies and those areas that have consequences for the decision-making and implementation of the CFSP and ESDP. Therefore, the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty is crucial as to whether it will take the Euro-Mediterranean relations in the right direction and to which extent will it allow to conceptualize into a broad based regional and global CFSP.