Bridging the Gaps in EU Foreign Policy

Is the EU condemned to live with a permanently flawed foreign policy system? Six years after the Lisbon Treaty redesigned the EU’s external action framework, the union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy is still not living up to expectations. Is the gap between member states and the EU institutions unbridgeable? Or is there hope that these structural weaknesses can be overcome?

In his policy outlook, “The Path to an Upgraded EU Foreign Policy,” Carnegie’s Pierre Vimont maps out three key ways to make EU foreign policy work.

Vimont discussed his recommendations on how the EU can overcome the split nature of its foreign policy. He was joined by Sylvie Kauffmann, editorial director and columnist at Le Monde, and Bruno Maçães, Portugal’s secretary of state for European affairs. Carnegie’s Jan Techau moderated.

Carnegie Europe is grateful to the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in making this event possible. The event is part of a wider project on how to improve the EU’s foreign policy machinery.

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Sylvie Kauffmann

Sylvie Kauffmann is editorial director and columnist at Le Monde.

Bruno Maçães

Bruno Maçães is Portugal’s secretary of state for European affairs.

Pierre Vimont

Pierre Vimont is a senior associate at Carnegie Europe.

Jan Techau

Jan Techau is the director of Carnegie Europe.