2013年-CEPS欧洲政策研究中心_Upgrading_the_EUs_Role_as_Global_Actor_3页_234kb

Upgrading the EU's Role as Global Actor: Summary

Core Content

The document "Upgrading the EU's Role as Global Actor" discusses the challenges and opportunities for the European Union (EU) to become a more effective and coherent global diplomatic actor in the context of globalization, the rise of the BRICs, and the emergence of a new multi-polarity in international relations. It highlights the need for institutional reform and strategic restructuring to enable the EU to better represent its interests and exert influence on the global stage.

Main Views

The authors argue that the EU's foreign policy institutions are currently fragmented and inefficient, particularly due to the following issues:

1. Institutional Confusion in the EU's Representation

• The Lisbon Treaty has not fully resolved who should represent the EU in international negotiations, especially in areas of shared competence.
• There is ongoing competition and conflict between the European Commission, the High Representative, and national delegations.
• This confusion leads to public embarrassment and a loss of credibility in international forums.
• A compromise was reached by the Belgian Presidency, but the situation remains unstable and requires a more permanent institutional understanding.

2. EU's Status in Multilateral Organizations

• The EU is often treated as an "observer" rather than a full member or contracting party in key multilateral institutions like the UN, IMF, and World Bank.
• This mismatch between the EU's legal competences and its institutional status hampers its effectiveness.
• The Lisbon Treaty has, in some cases, inadvertently weakened the EU's position, such as in the UN General Assembly.
• The EU needs to secure a more appropriate status in these organizations, including a single seat in the IMF and observer status in the World Bank.
• This is a long-term agenda, but one that requires immediate and coordinated action.

3. Restructuring of European Diplomacy

• The EU currently has a limited foreign service (136 delegations, 3,720 staff) compared to the extensive national diplomatic networks of its member states.
• The EU's new foreign service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), is significantly underfunded relative to the scale of the EU's diplomatic needs.
• National spending on foreign affairs is high (€15 per capita), while the EEAS costs only €1 per capita.
• The authors propose a gradual transfer of certain functions to the EEAS, such as political and economic reporting, consular services, and crisis management.
• They also suggest the possibility of co-locating national missions within EU delegations to reduce redundancy.
• Small bilateral missions, especially in less strategic locations, can be reduced or eliminated.

Key Information

• The EU's challenge: As a collective actor, the EU has the potential to influence global affairs, but its institutional framework is not yet mature enough to realize this potential.
• Current state of EU diplomacy: The EU has 136 delegations and 3,720 staff, while member states collectively maintain 3,164 diplomatic missions with 93,912 staff.
• Budget concerns: The EU's declared intention to achieve "budget neutrality" for the EEAS is criticized as short-sighted and potentially harmful, as it could prevent real cost savings through integrated restructuring.
• Proposed solutions: The authors outline a series of institutional, legal, and functional reforms to modernize and streamline the EU's foreign policy approach.
• The book: This commentary is part of a new book published by the authors, which provides detailed scenarios and recommendations for upgrading the EU's role in global diplomacy.

Conclusion

The document emphasizes that the EU must overcome institutional fragmentation, secure a more appropriate status in multilateral organizations, and restructure its diplomatic functions to remain relevant and effective in a rapidly changing global landscape. Failure to do so risks making European diplomacy increasingly obsolete and wasteful.