This book takes a fresh look at the external relations of the European Union (EU) and in particular the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Rather than focusing exclusively on the competence aspects of the institutions and actors, the book makes the case that the CFSP can be understood as a system of governance, which produces effects beyond the traditional tools associated with foreign policy. The theoretical approach draws on insights from new institutionalism, constructivism and the institutional theory of law and emphasises how the institutionalised forms of cooperation in the external sphere contribute to a social reality in which the ‘added value’ of the CFSP can be seen. Paul James Cardwell takes the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EuroMed) as a case study. Not initially a CFSP project, EuroMed has become the frame for EU foreign policy in the region as an emerging system of governance in which the EU institutions play a central role. Having recently been relaunched as the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean, it is a topical subject. With the increasing importance of migration on the EU’s agenda, the book looks at the relationship between migration, EuroMed and the CFSP and argues that the legal effects of the CFSP can be felt beyond the Treaty-based instruments. EU External Relations and Systems of Governance will be of interest to students and scholars of Law, Politics and European studies researching in the dynamic fields of EU external relations and foreign policy, as well as policy-makers and non-governmental organisations striving to better understand how the EU and its systems of governance operate.

In today’s increasingly complex and interdependent world, the role of parliaments in external affairs remains a relatively under explored topic of research. The multiple patterns of global governance are mostly dominated by the executive branches of government, with parliaments relegated to the sidelines. This insightful book aims to challenge this dominant perspective and demonstrate the increased networking of parliaments both within the EU and with external actors outside the EU. It not only sheds light on EU parliamentary cooperation and networking, but also reveals the growing scope and role of parliamentary scrutiny, control and conflict mediation.

The European Union has developed a wide array of external relations with its neighbouring countries. Without offering full membership, the EU nevertheless attempts to transfer its rules and policies to non-member countries. It is this extension of EU rules beyond EU borders that the analysis of external governance seeks to capture. The contributions to this volume explain the modes and effects of EU external governance in a variety of EU–non-member country relations in Western Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Mediterranean region. They cover such diverse issues as trade, environment, security, and democracy promotion and explore the effects of EU institutions, EU power, and the domestic structures of its partner countries on the transfer of EU rules. This book was based on a special issue of Journal of European Public Policy.

The European Union has developed a wide array of external relations with its neighbouring countries. Without offering full membership, the EU nevertheless attempts to transfer its rules and policies to non-member countries. It is this extension of EU rules beyond EU borders that the analysis of external governance seeks to capture. The contributions to this volume explain the modes and effects of EU external governance in a variety of EU–non-member country relations in Western Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Mediterranean region. They cover such diverse issues as trade, environment, security, and democracy promotion and explore the effects of EU institutions, EU power, and the domestic structures of its partner countries on the transfer of EU rules. This book was based on a special issue of Journal of European Public Policy.

This is a collection of works which considers the many different facets of the EU’s increasingly important engagement with the world beyond its borders. The Treaty of Lisbon marked a change in the powers and competences endowed on the EU - the contributions to this collection consider both the direct and indirect impact of the Treaty on the contemporary state of EU external relations. The authors are drawn from legal, political science and international relations disciplines and consider innovations or changes brought about by the Treaty itself: the European External Action Service, the roles of the High Representative and President, the collapse of the ‘pillar’ structure and new competences such as those for foreign investment. Other chapters cover developments which reflect the latest incremental changes upon which the post-Lisbon Treaty arrangements have some bearing, including the COREU network, the transatlantic and neighbourhood relations and the external dimension of ‘internal’ security. Useful for academics working in the field of EU external relations law and foreign policy, as well as the EU law/politics/European studies market more generally.

The European Union is rapidly creating a European space in which citizens can live in Justice, Liberty and Security. This bold push forward in the European integration process touches on three highly sensitive societal subjects: immigration and asylum, civil law, and criminal law. At the same time, work in this area necessarily has an external dimension: we only need to think about asylum and the post September 11 fight against terrorism. Within the European Union, this dynamic development of the external side of justice and home affairs raises challenging issues: friction over the division of competences between the Union and its Member States and between EU institutions; cross-pillar coordination issues; legal and political tensions due to "variable geometry" with numerous "opt-ins" and "opt-outs". In addition, international cooperation brings its own problems: how to explain the internal issues to international partners? How to allow them to become comfortable with an ever more assertive EU role? How to support global governance structures while preserving European human standards? -- Back cover.

The European Union is one of the world's biggest economies. However, its role as an international actor is ambiguous and it's not always able to transform its political power into effective external policies. The development of an 'assertive' European Union challenges the image of an internal project aimed at economic integration and international relations theories based on unitary state actors. This book systematically links the EU's external relations to existing political theories, showing how existing theories need to be modified in order to deal with specific characteristics of the EU as an international actor.