DOCSLIB.ORG

The External Representation of the EU: a Simple Matter of Protocol? François Roux

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The External Representation of the EU: a Simple Matter of Protocol? François Roux No. 69 AprilNo. 2022 1 June 2011 The external representation of the EU: A simple matter of protocol? François Roux “Sofagate” has brutally disclosed the internal It provides an analysis of the dysfunction, why it divergences within the EU in the field of its external happened, and how it could be fixed. relations. This paper does not comment on the role of Some tried to minimize this unfortunate incident as a Turkish authorities or any other aspect of the mere breach of diplomatic protocol. However, several “sofagate”. elements lead us to think that the issue at stake is a very political matter: the division of power between the President of the EU Commission and the President of I. WHAT THE LISBON TREATY SAYS the European Council concerning the external representation of the EU. In the Lisbon treaty (TEU) three main actors have been designated to represent the European Tensions between both presidents were predictable Union on the international scene: The President and identified as soon as the Lisbon Treaty came into of the European Council, the President of the force (see premonitory analysis written by Professor Niki Aloupi in 2010) 1 . The ambivalent language of the European Commission, and the High Lisbon treaty seems to be the main source of these Representative for the Common Foreign and tensions which had, until now, been contained. On 6 Security Policy. of April 2021, these misgivings became public as pictures of the Ankara meeting, amplified by social From 1974 until November 2009, when the media, went viral. Lisbon treaty entered into force, the European Council was presided by the head of state or Considering the complex relationship between government of the rotating presidency, clearly institutions and Member states as well as the harsh designated as head of delegation for all bilateral criticism from Eurosceptical populists, an institutional summits between the EU and third countries. quarrel is the last thing the EU needs in these COVID-19 times. This awkward dispute undermines The big innovation introduced by the TEU was the ambitions for an efficient and coherent European the institution of a stable presidency of the foreign policy. European Council elected for a two and a half year term, renewable once (article 15, para.5 This article focuses solely on the impact of the incident TEU). The purpose of this innovation was to on the internal structure of the EU’s external reinforce the visibility and continuity of the representation. European Council’s presidency, which became an EGMONT Royal Institute for International Relations official institution of the Union (article 13 TEU). States was not unambiguous. In fact, the reason According to article 15, para. 6 “The President of why the external representation of the EU the European Council shall, at his level and in remains difficult to grasp, is the reluctance of that capacity, ensure the external representation Member States to transfer the exercise of their of the Union on issues concerning its common national foreign policy to the Union. foreign and security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the The Presidency of the European Council was Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.” modelled on the role of a head of state in a classic parliamentary regime, not as politically exposed For matters other than foreign affairs and as a head of government. However, nothing in security policy (CFSP), the Commission ensures the TEU prevents an assertive personality of (as an institution, not as a person) the external fulfilling his/her tasks with dynamism and taking representation of the Union (Article 17 TEU). the necessary initiatives to make the role look The suppression of the so-called pillars and the more presidential. The lack of precision in the attribution of a legal personality to the Union manner in which the job description is drafted have reinforced the Commission’s role in the allows the President of the European Council to external representation of the EU in community take advantage of any opportunity to compete matters. Besides the CFSP exception, there is the with the President of the Commission. This particular case of the external representation of loophole was detected and criticized by the the eurozone, which is ensured by the president representatives of smaller Member States – of the Eurogroup (an informal body). Just as the including Belgium- that considered it a way of President of the European Council, the President weakening the Commission. of the European Commission is a full member of the European Council and the counterpart of When dealing with the external competences of Heads of State and government in matters the Union, the EU treaties have always made a relating to the competences of the Commission. clear distinction between those of an intergovernmental nature (which require The High Representative (HR) conducts the unanimity as is the case with CFSP/CSDP) and Union’s common foreign policy, represents the those of an exclusively community nature (such EU in political dialogues with third countries and as trade policy, cooperation and development, within international organizations and and humanitarian assistance). In practice, this conferences and in all matters related to the distinction is not as obvious as it seems. In most European Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). cases, when dealing with foreign policy, the He presides over the Foreign Affairs Council Commission and the Council will inevitably (Articles 18 and 27 of the TEU) and, as one of depend on one another. Ultimately, the efficiency the Vice-Presidents of the Commission, ensures of the EU’s foreign policy is determined by the the consistency of the EU’s external action. personal relationship and compatibility of the respective ambitions of the President of the Unsound competition Commission and the President of the European As anyone can see, the tasks of the designated Council. actors in charge of the EU’s foreign policy were not clearly defined. The possibility of competition between these actors could not be excluded since the definition of shared competences between the EU and its Member EGMONT Royal Institute for International Relations 2 II. POLITICS NOT PROTOCOL. The coherence principle is repeatedly mentioned in the TEU (Role of the General Affairs Council article Calling upon protocol rules to justify primacy in the 16, para.6; Role of the High Representative in article external representation of the Union is not a 18, para.4; Coherence/cooperation in article 21, convincing argument. para.3 and Common Foreign and Security Policy in Article 13, para.1 TEU enumerates the institutions article 26, para.2). The loyal cooperation between of the Union without explicitly indicating any order institutions is specifically mentioned in article 13, of precedence. Besides the ambiguity of the treaty, para.2 of the treaty. This principle does not only protocol arrangements in the EU are based on apply for EU institutions, but also for EU Member customary practices, not on legally binding texts. The States (Article 4, para.3). practical arrangements referred to as “protocol This cooperation principle, which can be interpreted rules” are, in fact, guidelines with no political as a code of conduct or as an obligation to reach a meaning provided by the protocol services of either particular result was designed to ensure a strong 2 institution . The informal document entitled representation of the EU on the international scene. “Practical Arrangements between President Van This is the principle which was violated during the Rompuy and President Barroso regarding External diplomatic incident in Ankara. Representation of the European Union at Presidential Level”, signed on 16 March 2010, Individuals profiles proves this point. This written gentlemen’s Since the TEU entered into force, Member States agreement had to be negotiated because of the have been careful not to select personalities who absence of a formal EU protocol book. would have boosted the autonomy of the Furthermore, the role of the European Council and Commission or the European Council. Their of the European Commission concerning the reluctance towards a supranational approach of the management of the financial, migration, BREXIT external representation of the Union confirms the and COVID-19 crises was not defined by protocol traditional will of European heads of state and considerations. The way the eurozone crisis or the government to keep control over the EU’s foreign compromise with Turkey on migration were policy. managed are particularly telling in this regard. These One of the ironies in the implementation of the challenges generated a lot of expectations towards Lisbon treaty is that the same Member States that the decision-making capacity of European leaders pleaded for the upgrading of the EU’s role in the and European institutions. On many occasions both world were also the ones that made sure that the had to “improvise” to use the expression of Luuk selected personalities would not be able to challenge Van Middelaar 3. them. This was the result of a compromise between Whereas the Lisbon Treaty is relatively silent and large and smaller Member States – yet another ambiguous on precedence arrangements, it is very example of the ambivalent identity of the EU in clear on how institutions should work together. The which the community and intergovernmental purpose of the TEU’s innovations was precisely to methods coexist, sometimes in a complementary reinforce the external representation of the and sometimes in a competing manner. European Union in terms of visibility and efficiency. The same ambivalence is visible in the EU’s Coherence and unity in representation are the main governance, especially in times of crisis. While the tools Member States and the EU institutions should Commission represents the supranational aspect of use to increase the relevance of EU foreign policy.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Perspectives on New Dynamics in EU Governance
    DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT C: CITIZENS' RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS The European Council and the Council: perspectives on new dynamics in EU governance In-Depth Analysis Abstract The European Council and the Council play a central role in policy- making within those new areas of EU activity within which intergovernmental policy coordination prevails over legislative decision- making such economic governance and foreign affairs. The emphasis on decentralised governance implies important changes to institutional design and the practice of inter-institutional relations. PE 510.004 EN This document was requested by the European Parliament's Committee Constitutional Affairs. AUTHOR Mr Uwe Puetter Central European University Budapest RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATOR Mr Petr Novak Policy Department Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs European Parliament B-1047 Brussels E-mail: [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN ABOUT THE EDITOR To contact the Policy Department or to subscribe to its monthly newsletter please write to: [email protected] Manuscript completed in January 2015 European Parliament, © European Union, 2015 This document is available on the Internet at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/studies DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorized, provided the source is acknowledged and the publisher is given prior notice and sent a copy. The European Council and the Council: perspectives on new dynamics in EU governance ___________________________________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 4 LIST OF FIGURES 5 Executive SUMMARY 6 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Eu Foreign Policy Architecture
    THE NEW EU FOREIGN POLICY ARCHITECTURE REVIEWING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE EEAS NIKLAS HELWIG PAUL IVAN HRANT KOSTANYAN CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES (CEPS) BRUSSELS The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) is an independent policy research institute in Brussels. Its mission is to produce sound policy research leading to constructive solutions to the challenges facing Europe. The views expressed in this book are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed to CEPS or any other institution with which they are associated or to the European Union. Niklas Helwig is a Marie Curie Researcher of the EXACT network at the University of Edinburgh and Cologne and focuses on the institutional development of EU foreign policy. He worked for the Centre for European Policy Studies and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. Paul Ivan is a Romanian diplomat. Previously, he worked as a researcher for the Centre for European Policy Studies, where he focused on EU political and institutional issues and the European External Action Service. Hrant Kostanyan is an associate research fellow at CEPS and a PhD candidate at the Centre for EU Studies at Ghent University. He worked as an external expert for International Alert, based in London, in the Eastern Europe and South Caucasus research project. He also worked as an expert on a European Commission-funded project on the EU’s relations with Russia and the Eastern Partnership at the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre. The authors thank Piotr Maciej Kaczyński for his comments on an earlier draft. ISBN 978-94-6138-262-7 © Copyright 2013, Centre for European Policy Studies and the authors.
    [Show full text]
  • GENERAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL Brussels, 22 September 2020 Participants
    GENERAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL Brussels, 22 September 2020 Participants Belgium: Mr Koen GEENS Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice, with responsibility for the Buildings Agency, and Minister for European Affairs Bulgaria: Mr Petko DOYKOV Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Czechia: Mr Tomáš PETŘÍČEK Minister for Foreign Affairs Denmark: Mr Jeppe KOFOD Minister for Foreign Affairs Germany: Mr Michael ROTH Minister of State for Europe, Federal Foreign Office Estonia: Mr Märt VOLMER Deputy Minister for EU Affairs Ireland Mr Thomas BYRNE Minister of State for European Affairs Greece: Mr Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS Deputy Minister, with responsibility for European Affairs Spain: Mr Juan GONZÁLEZ-BARBA PERA State Secretary for the European Union France: Mr Clément BEAUNE Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and for Foreign Affairs Croatia: Ms Irena ANDRASSY Permanent Representative Italy: Mr Vincenzo AMENDOLA Minister for European Affairs Cyprus: Mr Nicholas EMILIOU Permanent Representative Latvia: Ms Sanita PAVĻUTA-DESLANDES Permanent Representative Lithuania: Mr Albinas ZANANAVIČIUS Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Luxembourg: Mr Jean ASSELBORN Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Asylum Hungary: Ms Judit VARGA Minister for Justice Malta: Mr Stefan ZRINZO AZZOPARDI Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds within the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs Netherlands: Mr Stef BLOK Minister for Foreign Affairs Austria: Mr Nikolaus MARSCHIK Permanent
    [Show full text]
  • 025524/EU XXVII. GP Eingelangt Am 01/07/20
    025524/EU XXVII. GP Eingelangt am 01/07/20 Council of the European Union Brussels, 30 June 2020 (OR. en) 9250/20 POLGEN 91 NOTE From: General Secretariat of the Council To: Delegations Subject: Draft agendas for Council meetings, during the second semester of 2020 (the German Presidency) In accordance with Article 2(7) of the Council's Rules of Procedure, delegations will find attached the indicative agendas1 for Council meetings for the period from 1 July 2020 up to 31 December 2020. These have been drawn up by the German Presidency and the External Action Service as regards the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) In accordance with Article 3(6) of the Council's Rules of Procedure, items for which approval by the Council is possible without discussion are entered as "A" items. As a general rule, "A" items do not appear on the attached provisional Council agendas. In accordance with Annex V, para 6 of the Council's Rules of Procedure, no item is placed on the Council agenda simply for presentation by the Commission or by a Council member, except where a debate on new major initiatives is planned. 1 In accordance with the Treaty of Lisbon, on all agendas for the various Council configurations a distinction has to be made between legislative and non-legislative acts, in the case of both "A" items and "B" items. 9250/20 1 GIP.1 EN www.parlament.gv.at ANNEX The German Presidency - 2nd semester 2020 Draft Work Programme for Council meetings Prepared by COREPER (Part 2) COUNCIL DATE July August September October November December GENERAL AFFAIRS 10 15 22 13 12 (Cohesion) 8 Poss.
    [Show full text]
  • Relations Between the European Council and the European Parliament
    Relations between the European Council and the European Parliament Institutional and political dynamics STUDY EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Author: Desmond Dinan European Council Oversight Unit PE 630.288 – November 2018 EN Relations between the European Council and the European Parliament Institutional and political dynamics This study explores the development of relations between the European Council (of Heads of State or Government) and the European Parliament, two institutions that have become increasingly central to the operation of the European Union political system, especially since the 2009 Lisbon Treaty. It explains the Treaty framework for relations between the two institutions and traces their practical evolution over time, including an analysis of the roles of the presidents of each institution in such interaction. It also examines points of contention in the relationship to date, including in relation to 'legislative trespassing' by the European Council and the Spitzenkandidaten process. EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service AUTHOR This study has been written by Desmond Dinan, Ad Personam Jean Monnet Chair and Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University, Virginia, United States, at the request of the European Council Oversight Unit of the Directorate for Impact Assessment and European Added Value of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS). Professor Dinan completed this work during his half-year as a Visiting Fellow at EPRS. ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE Astrid Worum, European Council Oversight Unit, EPRS To contact the publisher, please e-mail [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN Manuscript completed in September 2018. DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT This document is prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work.
    [Show full text]
  • The European Council
    President: Jacques Delors THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL Philippe de Schoutheete and Helen Wallace Research and European Issues No. 19 September 2002 STUDY AVAILABLE IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH http://www.notre-europe.asso.fr/Fichiers/Etud19-fr © Notre Europe, September 2002 This publication benefits from the financial support of the European Commission. Nevertheless its content is the sole responsibility of the authors. Neither the European Commission nor Notre Europe is to be held responsible for the manner in which the information in this text may be used. This text may be reproduced provided that the source cited. Helen Wallace Professor Helen Wallace is Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute. She is a Professorial Fellow of the Sussex European Institute, University of Sussex, where she was previously founding Director and then Co- Director. She is also a visiting professor at the College of Europe. She has written widely on European political integration and been actively involved in policy advisory groups in Britain and in Brussels on European issues. Philippe de Schoutheete Philippe de Schoutheete, a former Belgian diplomat, was ambassador in Madrid, political director at the Belgian Foreign ministry and his country’s permanent representative to the European Union from 1987 to 1997. Today he is special adviser to Michel Barnier, member of the European Commission and in this capacity follows the European institutional debate. He is visiting professor at the Catholic University of Louvain and at the College of Europe in Natolin (Poland). He is the author of a number of academic books, including “La Coopération Politique Européenne” (Brussels, Labor.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Brief July 2021
    FEPS Policy Brief July 2021 A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO THE CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE Summary About the author: The Conference on the Future of Europe is the widest process of engagement with citizens, besides elections, that the European Union has ever undertaken, but as such it has enormous potentials as well as risks. Richard Corbett The main risk will be to result in a big disappointment, if proposals supported by citizens will be not followed up by the European institutions. British politician and former Member of the However, it can also offer a great opportunity to progressives to introduce European Parliament (1996-2009 and 2014- 20) for the S&D Group largely-needed changes in the European construction, enhancing the European Union’s capacity to act and deliver in a number of cross-border sectors (from healthcare to climate change, from economic justice to migration), and strengthening its democratic accountability and transparency. This Policy Brief offers some proposals, among the many that could and will be discussed, that could be embraced by European progressives and that may help to make the European Union and its institutions increasingly understandable to European citizens. A progressive approach to the Conference on the Future of Europe Richard Corbett British politician and former Member of the European Parliament (1996-2009 and 2014-20) for the S&D Group Table of Contents 1. Introduction ...........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Draft Agendas for Council Meetings, During the Second Semester of 2021 (The Slovenian Presidency)
    Council of the European Union Brussels, 1 July 2021 (OR. en) 10415/21 POLGEN 132 NOTE From: General Secretariat of the Council To: Delegations Subject: Draft agendas for Council meetings, during the second semester of 2021 (the Slovenian Presidency) In accordance with Article 2(7) of the Council's Rules of Procedure, delegations will find attached the indicative agendas1 for Council meetings for the period from 1 July 2021 up to 31 December 2021. These have been drawn up by the Slovenian Presidency and the External Action Service as regards the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). In accordance with Article 3(6) of the Council's Rules of Procedure, items for which approval by the Council is possible without discussion are entered as "A" items. As a general rule, "A" items do not appear on the attached provisional Council agendas. In accordance with Annex V, para 6 of the Council's Rules of Procedure, no item is placed on the Council agenda simply for presentation by the Commission or by a Council member, except where a debate on new major initiatives is planned. 1 In accordance with the Treaty of Lisbon, on all agendas for the various Council configurations a distinction has to be made between legislative and non-legislative acts, in the case of both "A" items and "B" items. 10415/21 1 GIP EN ANNEX The Slovenian Presidency - 2nd semester 2021 Draft Work Programme for Council meetings Prepared by COREPER (Part 2) COUNCIL DATE July August September October November December GENERAL AFFAIRS 18 (Cohesion) 21 19 14 23 11 (Trade) FOREIGN AFFAIRS 15 12 18 13 16 (Defence) 19 (Development) ECONOMIC AND 13 9 5 7 FINANCIAL AFFAIRS 23 (Budget) 12 (Budget) JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS 7-8 9-10 Prepared by COREPER (Part 1) COUNCIL DATE July August September October November December 6 (Empl & EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL 15 (Empl.
    [Show full text]
  • SUNY Guide to the Model European Union. 15Th Edition. 2021
    SUNY GUIDE TO THE MODEL EUROPEAN UNION 15th Edition ii SUNY GUIDE TO THE MODEL EUROPEAN UNION 15th Edition Edited by Laurie Buonanno (IEUSS Director) and Neill Nugent (IEUSS Board Member) Copyright©2021 by the Institute for European Union Studies at SUNY. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the Institute for European Union Studies at SUNY. Email inquiries to Dr. Laurie Buonanno, [email protected]. https://ieuss.multistg.buffalostate.edu/ Suggested citation: Buonanno, L., & Nugent, N. (Eds.). (2021). SUNY Guide to the Model European Union (15th ed.). Buffalo: Institute for European Union Studies at SUNY. ii iii Acknowledgements The editors wish to thank the many SUNYMEU faculty advisors and students for their helpful suggestions on previous editions of this manual. We owe a special debt of gratitude to Dr. William G. Andrews, Professor Emeritus (SUNY Brockport), who along with a team of his students, founded the SUNY Model European Community (SUNYMEC). We would also like to thank Professor Raymond Rushboldt (SUNY Fredonia) for directing SUNYMEU 2007 and Dr. Kathleen Dowley (SUNY New Paltz) for directing SUNYMEU from 2008-2018. Any errors and omissions in this manual are, of course, the editors’ responsibility. SUNYMEU 2018 in Brussels – hosted by Vesalius College iii iv Contents (Electronic version: This is a dynamic table of contents. Point your mouse to the title, “Ctrl + click” to follow link.) Table of Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. iii List of Illustrative Materials ................................................................................................... v SUNY and the Model European Union ................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Revue De Presse [Pdf]
    10/06/2021 Incident Michel/ Von der Leyen: le symbole du déclin géopolitique et de l'obésité institutionnelle de l'Europe (carte blanche) - Intern… Incident Michel/ Von der Leyen: le symbole du déclin géopolitique et de l'obésité institutionnelle de l'Europe (carte blanche) 09/04/21 à 11:57 Mise à jour à 12:00 Franklin Dehousse Professeur à l'ULiège "Le spectacle pathétique d'Ankara présente néanmoins une grande utilité, estime Franklin Dehousse. Il montre la nécessité d'une réforme." 437Fois partagé © Belga Le public européen a été fortement choqué, à juste titre, par l'image de Charles Michel s'empressant d'occuper le seul fauteuil et abandonnant Ursula von der Leyen sans siège à Ankara. Certains ont trouvé les justifications les plus sidérantes sur le plan juridique ou protocolaire, mais elles ne changent rien à la réalité. On trouve aisément sur internet de très belles photos de la rencontre antérieure entre Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Donald Tusk et Jean-Claude Juncker, siégeant, eux, sur trois fauteuils de même taille. Ce n'est donc pas très difficile à organiser, encore faut-il le vouloir. file:///C:/MAD_Documents/MAD-Docs-2020-2021_Millennia2025/2021-04-09_Sofagate_LeVif_Franklin-Dehousse_Incident-Michel_Von-der-Leye… 2/6 10/06/2021 Incident Michel/ Von der Leyen: le symbole du déclin géopolitique et de l'obésité institutionnelle de l'Europe (carte blanche) - Intern… Le spectacle catastrophique pour l'égalité hommes/femmes, qui ne semble en rien perturber le président du Conseil européen, ne doit pas occulter deux autres impacts systémiques importants de cet incident. D'une part, c'est la troisième fois en quelques mois que l'Union européenne se voit humiliée dans ses rapports avec ses plus grands voisins.
    [Show full text]
  • The European Council. the Council
    QC-03-13-335-EN-C EN Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 1048 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË Tel. +32 22816111 www.european-council.europa.eu GENER AL SECRETARIAT THE COUNCIL OF www.consilium.europa.eu e European Council e C o u n c i l Two institutions acting for Europe doi:10.2860/65984 INFORMATION SERIES SEPTEMBER 2013 Notice General Secretariat of the Council This brochure is produced by the General Secretariat of the Council and is intended for information purposes only. The European Council – The Council – Two institutions acting for Europe For information on the European Council and the Council, you can consult the following websites: www.european-council.europa.eu Luxembourg: Publications Offi ce of the European Union www.consilium.europa.eu 2013 — 16 pp. — 14,8 x 21,0 cm or contact the Public Information Department of the General Secretariat of the Council at the following address: ISBN 978-92-824-4114-5 Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 doi: 10.2860/65984 1048 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË Tel. +32 22815650 Credits: Fax +32 22814977 Photo Department of the General Secretariat of the Council www.consilium.europa.eu/infopublic © European Union, 2013 HOW TO OBTAIN EU PUBLICATIONS Free publications: • one copy: via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu); More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). • more than one copy or posters/maps: from the European Union’s representations (http://ec.europa.eu/represent_en.htm); Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. from the delegations in non-EU countries (http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/index_en.htm); by contacting the Europe Direct service (http://europa.eu/europedirect/index_en.htm) or Luxembourg: Publications Offi ce of the European Union, 2013 calling 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (freephone number from anywhere in the EU) (*).
    [Show full text]
  • The European Council and Turkey Searching for a Positive Agenda
    BRIEFING European Council in Action The European Council and Turkey Searching for a positive agenda SUMMARY Turkey has featured regularly on the agenda of the European Council in recent years, notably in the context of the migration crisis and military operations in Syria, and as a result of an increasingly tense situation in the eastern Mediterranean, which led to a significant military build-up at sea during the summer of 2020. In all these cases, the European Council (re)acted swiftly, ensuring that the views of the Member States were taken into consideration. In the migration crisis, it stepped up cooperation with Turkey, reducing the influx of irregular arrivals on EU shores, while offering to 're- energise accession negotiations'. This offer has been disregarded, as Turkey has continued to drift away from EU values and principles, multiplying rule of law and human rights violations. In parallel, Turkey has started pursuing an increasingly assertive regional policy in the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and, more recently, in the south Caucasus. Its assertiveness in the eastern Mediterranean led to the increase in illegal exploratory drilling activities in the Cypriot and Greek economic exclusive zones (EEZs), which the European Council has condemned on numerous occasions. In 2020, in an attempt to back de-escalation efforts, the European Council reiterated its offer of cooperation on a positive political agenda, including modernisation of the EU-Turkey customs union, making this conditional upon progress on restoring good neighbourly relations. Background The EU's relationship with Turkey is complex and challenging. Turkey is both a candidate country and a 'key partner' in 'migration, counterterrorism, economy and trade'.
    [Show full text]