Common Foreign and Security Policy [What Think Tanks are Thinking]

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

The EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) has developed significantly since the 1990s with the aim of enabling the Union to speak and act as one in world affairs. The 2009 Lisbon Treaty strengthened the potential of the policy by creating the post of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, backed by the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Although the EU’s foreign policy has been hailed for a number of successes, such as a deal between Serbia and Kosovo or a nuclear agreement with Iran, it is still often perceived as underdeveloped by analysts, who say that Member States pursue their own priorities and that there needs to be greater coordination between the CFSP and other EU external policies, such as on development and trade.

This note offers links to recent studies on EU foreign policy from major international think tanks and research institutes. Relations with Turkey, China, Africa, EU eastern neighbours, EU southern neighbours, candidates for EU membership and NATO have been covered in previous editions of ‘What Think Tanks are thinking’.

Millstone or multiplier? EU foreign policy
Centre for European Reform, January 2016

EU global strategy
Egmont, January 2016

Is Europe’s foreign policy under threat from its economic dependence?
German Marshal Fund, January 2016

The Commissioners’ Group on External Action: Key political facilitator
Centre for European Policy Studies, December 2015

Crafting the EU global strategy: Building blocks for a stronger Europe
Finnish Institute of International Affairs, December 2015

Federica Mogherini and her first year as HRVP
EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, December 2015

The good, the bad and the ugly: European security: Autumn 2015
Institute of International and European Affairs, December 2015

‘One belt, one road’: An opportunity for the EU’s security strategy
Clingendael, December 2015

The EU, Russia and the quest for a new European security bargain
Clingendael, December 2015

European strategy, European defence and the CSDP
Egmont, November 2015

L’Europe à la croisée des chemins : La politique de défense et de sécurité a besoin d’initiatives franco-allemandes
Institut français des relations internationales, November 2015

Unerwartet, überraschend, ungeplant: Zugespitzte Situationen in der internationalen Politik
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, November 2015

Upstream of future crises: A comprehensive approach to European (External) Action
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, November 2015

The constitutional and historical relevance of the AFSJ and the CFSP/ESDP
Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, October 2015

An EU global strategy for foreign and security policy… and even defence
Egmont, October 2015

Intelligence and decision-making within the Common Foreign and Security Policy
Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, October 2015

Joining up or falling apart: Towards a networked communications model for EU foreign policy
European Policy Centre, October 2015

From Seville to Brussels: The architecture of global presence
Real Instituto Elcano, October 2015

On target? EU sanctions as security policy tools
European Union Institute for Security Studies, September 2015

Towards an EU global strategy
European Union Institute for Security Studies, September 2015

From 9/11 to Da’esh: What role for the High Representative and the external dimension of EU counter-terrorism policies?
Istituto Affari Internazionali, September 2015

Prospects for security on the European continent
College of Europe, August 2015

The road back to European power
European Council on Foreign Relations, August 2015

Global and operational: A new strategy for EU Foreign and Security Policy
Istituto Affari Internazionali, July 2015

Global strategy choices (GSC): Prognosis and strategic planning for European foreign and security policy
Austrian Institute for International Affairs, July 2015

Why Europe needs a global strategy
European Think Tanks Group, July 2015

The EU’s strategic partnership agreements: Balancing geo-economics and geopolitics
Egmont, June 2015

The labours of HR Federica Mogherini: Her pursuit of a strategy and effectiveness
Polish Institute of International Affairs, July 2015

The road back to European power
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2015

The nuclear deal with Iran: Le moment suprême?
Centre for European Policy Studies, July 2015

Global and operational: A new strategy for EU Foreign and Security Policy
Istituto Affari Internazionali, July 2015

Global strategy choices (GSC): Prognosis and strategic planning for European foreign and security policy
Austrian Institute for International Affairs, July 2015

Global and operational: A new strategy for EU Foreign and Security Policy
Istituto Affari Internazionali, July 2015

Global strategy choices (GSC): Prognosis and strategic planning for European foreign and security policy
Austrian Institute for International Affairs, July 2015

The EU’s strategic partnership agreements: Balancing geo-economics and geopolitics
Egmont, June 2015

The path to an upgraded EU foreign policy
Carnegie Europe, June 2015

Respect for human rights as a general objective of the EU’s external action
Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, June 2015

Reengineering EU Foreign Policy: Seven key issues
Carnegie Europe, June 2015

New Atlantic community: The European Union, the US and Latin America
Miami-Florida European Union Center, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales, May 2015

Fragile states: An urgent challenge for EU foreign policy
FRIDE, February 2015

Resetting EU external action: Potential and restraint
Jacques Delors Institute Berlin, February 2015

Challenges for European Foreign Policy
FRIDE, January 2015

Gaps between comprehensive approaches of the EU and EU Member States: scoping study
European Centre for Development Policy Management, January 2015

Improving the effectiveness of sanctions: A checklist for the EU
Centre for European Policy Studies, November 2014

Who’s in charge? Member States, EU institutions and the European External Action Service
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, October 2014