Strengthening the EU’s Global Capacity to Act

The EU's reactions to the current challenges in the areas of security and trade policy highlight that a resolute and coherent common European foreign policy depends on the political will of Member States and their willingness to overcome their differences. The aim must be for Europeans to jointly consider their international commitment across different policy areas and act accordingly in a strategic manner. But the institutional reforms of the past have not provided the necessary push forward. In this sense, the recommendations for action in this paper are to be understood primarily as a call to Member States to make better use of the existing scope for action within the EU treaties.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation has invited experts to provide impetus for the EU reform debate in a number of policy areas. The result is a series of policy papers, some of which propose pragmatic approaches, others a change of direction. In their entirety, they are intended to improve the EU's capacity to act, as well as make it more democratic, ecological and socially just. Read the other papers here.