External Economic Relations and Foreign Policy in the European Union

The challenges of globalisation call for a strong role of the European Union as an international actor. Despite its economic importance, the EU has not been able to assert a corresponding influence on the course of international politics. The artificial distinction between external economic relations, as a subject of the supranational first pillar, and foreign policy, as a subject of the intergovernmental second pillar undermines consistent policy-making and significantly weakens the EU's performance on the international scene. This book illustrates the inextricable link between political and economic aspects of external relations and the constitutional dimension of this area. Provided with a thorough analysis of competence and representation issues the reader will gain a more profound understanding of the complex area of EU external relations.