Projects
European External Strategy Project
About the Project

Carnegie Europe launched the European External Strategy Project in February 2014 to provide policymakers with concrete and practical recommendations for advancing a global foreign and security strategy for Europe.

Drawing on consultations with experts from around the world, a final publication, “A New Ambition for Europe: A Memo to the European Union Foreign Policy Chief,” proposes a new strategy for turning Europe into a more effective international actor.

Background

While Europe has always been ambitious about its potential international role, in real terms the external dimension of the EU’s narrative has received inadequate attention in the wider EU context. The perception persists that EU member states have no interest in a more cohesive, European role on the global stage.

By continuing to command their own individualized and fragmented foreign policies, EU member states undermine Europe’s influence as a consistent and reliable foreign policy actor. Building Europe’s future demands a keen sense of strategy and foresight in global affairs that informs and directs future political action.

Carnegie’s European External Strategy Project addressed these challenges.

Process

The project consisted of a series of six private workshops and a final conference.

The four members of the project steering group set the agenda of each workshop, identified key questions to be addressed, and co-authored a final publication outlining the key opportunities and challenges topping Europe’s foreign policy agenda.

The publication will be presented at a public event in Brussels on November 20, 2014.

All work from European External Strategy Project

22 Results
event
A New Ambition for Europe
November 20, 2014

With a new EU foreign policy high representative coming into office, it is high time for the EU to become the strategic actor it has set out to be.

  • +3
commentary
A New Ambition for Europe: A Memo to the European Union Foreign Policy Chief

Four experts assess the most pressing issues awaiting the incoming EU foreign policy chief and propose a new strategy for turning Europe into a more effective global actor.

  • +1
· October 28, 2014
Four Reasons Why European Foreign Policy Sleeps

Despite a range of challenges and threats, EU member states show little sign of developing a robust, unified foreign policy anytime soon. Four major weaknesses are to blame.

· October 21, 2014
The New European Commission: Inward- or Outward-Looking?

As Jean-Claude Juncker unveils his new European Commission, he has chosen to make domestic economic issues his priority. Foreign policy looks set to play second fiddle.

· September 10, 2014
Thirty Years of Foreign Policy Pain Coming Europe’s Way

In addition to growing internal divisions, sclerotic economies, and resurgent nationalism, the EU must now take on geopolitical challenges of a kind it has never faced before.

· August 19, 2014
What the EU’s New High Representative Should Know

For Eastern Europeans in particular, the EU’s raison d’être is nothing if not geopolitical. That is something the union’s next foreign policy chief needs to understand.

  • Roderick Parkes
· July 31, 2014
article
A Turkey Road Map for the Next EU Foreign Policy Chief

A reshuffled EU leadership and a new Turkish presidency could provide a much-needed opportunity for a revamped EU-Turkey relationship.

· July 30, 2014
How the EU Can Raise Its Game in Foreign Policy

The EU needs to strengthen its foreign policy by preserving, not eradicating, national differences, writes Portugal’s state secretary for Europe.

· July 22, 2014
event
Economic Interests and Foreign Affairs
July 14, 2014

The EU’s external capabilities do not always match its financial needs. In a changing global economy, how can Europe’s economic interests align with its foreign policy goals?

article
EU Foreign Policy in the Arab World: Three (Bad) Examples

Reducing the role of the EU institutions in foreign policy making has severely dented the union’s standing, credibility, and influence in the Arab world and beyond.

· July 3, 2014