EU foreign policy and aspects of its external relations

This topic includes the following issues:

- An analysis of EU foreign-policy institutions before and after the Treaty of Lisbon, including the interaction with NATO. How will these changes affect the possibility of the EU to function as an independent foreign policy actor? Different national interests in various institutional changes are analysed. Is it relevant and realistic now [2008], given the revised foreign political infrastructure, to update the ‘European Security Strategy’ (ESS)?

- Geopolitics in the EU salient environment (ENP, the ‘European Neighbourhood policy’) and around the Caspian Sea (south Caucasus and Central Asia): is a common European position possible? The ENP aims to create a ‘circle of friends’ around the EU, especially concerning the neighbouring countries that do not have immediate prospects of membership. In this area the EU has considerable influence. In the spheres to the west of and (mainly) east of the Caspian Sea, by contrast, the EU is a minor actor, since the US and Russia are the most important geopolitical players here.

- A common European Energy Policy particularly focusing on relations to Russia. Partly, relations between the EU and Russia are studied broadly in order to be able to discuss the possibilities and challenges related to cooperation and multilateral approaches. Partly, the focus is upon the specific energy-relations between the EU and Russia, including developments concerning the Energy Charter Treaty and the EU-Russia energy dialogue.

- A common European Climate Policy, particularly concerning relations to the US and China. This is one of the few areas, in which the EU has been capable of acting dynamically. Climate Policy is on its way to becoming ‘high politics’; the degree to which it is going to be merged with the more general power political relationships between states is topical here. More specifically, the focus is on EU/Danish influence in relation to the US and China, particularly in regard to the Copenhagen Summit in 2009.

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