Transcript Dr Yeo`s Presentation - EU Centre in Singapore

1st Global Youth Forum 31 July 2009
The European Union’s External
Relations – EU in the world
By Dr Yeo Lay Hwee,
Director, EU Centre
Contrasting views of the EU
“Global governance relies heavily on regional
governance and the European Union (EU) is the
most successful model in that respect, contributing
significantly to the world’s stability and direction.” - - - - Pierre Buhler (French Ambassador to Singapore) in “European
Union: a force for good in a troubled world” (ST 18 Dec 08)
“Weak, divided, incoherent, hypocritical and infuriating
– that’s how you hear the EU described privately in
Beijing and Washington. The events of this first
week of 2009 suggest that the critics are entirely
right.” ------ Timothy G Ash (Professor of European Studies,
Oxford University) in “Time to shape up” (ST 9 Jan 09)
The European Union: 497 million people – 27 countries
Member states of the European Union
Candidate countries
Reality check – Facts & Figures
27 member states
Population of 497 million (cf: US – 301 m; Japan
– 128 m
GDP of the EU (2006) – 10.793 trillion € (cf: US
– 10.035; Japan – 3.676)
30% of world GDP
Per capita GDP (2007) – 24,700 €
EU (Community & its member states) – provides
60% of all development aid, 93 € per citizen (cf:
Japan – 44 €; US – 53 €
EU’s trade with the world accounts for a fifth of
global trade (close to 20%)
The EU of Three pillars
The European Union
European
Community
domain
(most of
common
policies)
Common
foreign and
security
policy
The Treaties
Police and
judicial
cooperation
in criminal
matters
The EU as an economic power
The EU is above all an economic power
and trade provides the foundation of its
actorness. Underlying this presence is the
Single Market of 497 million consumers
with an aggregate GDP of close to 11
trillion €. Also the world’s biggest trading
power. Despite all the shifts in the volume
and composition of merchandise trade, its
share of global imports and exports has
remained relatively stable at around 20%.
The EU as an economic power (cont.)
Because the EU was originally built around economics
and trade, sovereignty was pooled and exercised in
common in these areas. The Community method
prevails in these areas and most decisions are taken by
QMV. The Union as a whole (represented by the EU
Commissioner for Trade) acts on behalf of the member
states when it comes to trade issues. The EU also acts
as a gatekeeper to the Single Market. In the area of
external economic relations, the EU controls trade
matters and market access.
In external economic relations, the goals of objectives of
the EU are:
- Eliminate barriers and restrictions to free trade;
- Ensure a free and fair global trading regime;
- Contribute to development of world trade.
EU in Development Aid and Humanitarian Assistance
The EU (ie the Community with the 27 member states) is
the world’s largest donor of both development aid and
humanitarian assistance.
The Community itself is the 5th largest aid donor.
EU has developed a distinctive approach to development
cooperation – a value-based approach associated with
increasingly pro-active attempts to promote democracy,
rule of law and human rights, through a range of
conditionalities applying both to trade and aid.
In its development cooperation goals and objectives, the
EU aimed to foster:
- Sustainable economic and social development of
developing countries and their integration into the world
economy;
- Campaign against poverty;
- Development and consolidation of democracy, rule of
law and respect for human rights.
External Economic Relations / Development Cooperation
Community method prevails
Most decisions by QMV
Council and Commission works in tandem in formulation
and implementation of common external commercial
policy. Commission initiates and Council decides. All
decisions are usually based on recommendations made
by Commission to the Council.
Day to day management of external economic policy /
development cooperation entrusted to the Commission
(different DGs – Trade / External Relations /
Development)
Institutional influences from the Parliament limited –
approval needed on some of the external agreements,
budget.
From EPC to CFSP
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COOPERATION:
Policy coordination / cooperation in the political, security and diplomatic
arena has been one of the most difficult – WHY?
(1) Issues of national sovereignty;
(2) Has to accommodate different historical traditions and collective
consciousness

-
Development of EPC (from 1970-1992)
Strictly inter-governmental
Grew in slow, pragmatic way rather than in a formal manner
Two events in the 1980s (Falklands War and Martial law in Poland)
provided an opportunity for some sort of political visibility to EPC
Intensification of debates on future direction of European integration
Events in Central and Eastern Europe and Soviet Union in late
1980s served as a catalyst for the establishment of a common
foreign policy
From EPC to CFSP (Cont.)
-
-
From EPC to CFSP:
Because of the momentous changes taking place in Europe with
the end of Cold War and the completion of Single Market in 1992,
the TEU (Maastricht Treaty) turned the European Community into
European Union with three pillars, of which CFSP is one of them.
Though still inter-governmental, the CFSP does represent a further
step toward making foreign policy a genuine common endeavour
TheTEU (Maastricht treaty) defines the goals of CFSP as follows –
(1) To safeguard the common values, fundamental interests and
independence of the Union;
(2) To strengthen the security of the Union and its member states in
all ways;
(3) To preserve peace and strengthen international security
(4) To promote international cooperation
(5) To develop & consolidate democracy and the rule of law, respect
for human rights
Supra-nationalism versus Inter-governmentalism
Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in
international organisations where power is held by
independent appointed officials / representatives elected
by the legislature or people of the member states.
Member states still have power and a say over
decisions, but they must share this power with other
actors. Decisions are usually made by majority votes.
Inter-governmentalism – two step bargaining process –
first, national interests and preferences are determined
through the domestic process; then states bargain within
the EU to try to realise these preferences. Outcome
reflects the relative power of the member states. States
will cooperate with each other to pursue their own
interests and will reach agreement only if they are
beneficial and in conformance to its interests.
Idea of EU as a normative power
Setting norms and ethical standards:
The EU sees itself as a model of regional
integration and democratic peace;
It promotes in its foreign policy a particular
perspective of values such as democracy and
human rights, multilateralism and free trade.
Human rights in EU foreign policy is pursued
through conditionalities in Trade and
Cooperation agreements and other diplomatic
and economic instruments
Group to Group dialogue
Relations between regional groupings
(eg EU-ASEAN; EU-SAARC)
Group-to-group dialogue began to take
shape in the 1970s in response to the
enlargement of the European Community
and the institutionalisation of EPC
EC-ACP dialogue in 1975 (Lome
Convention)
But group-to-group dialogue really took off in
the 1980s.
Why EC/EU pursue Group to Group dialogue?
Group to group relations are a promising strategy to
bring about “consistency” in EU’s international profile?
Group to group relations are the natural answer to
managing global inter-dependence?
Group to group relations are the result of the internal
logic of the EU (the dialogue of the EU with other groups
of states confirms the general trend towards constantly
enlarging the scope of activities carrying the European
label) ?
Group to group dialogue a practical way to cope with
increasing numbers of dialogue.
EU encourages regional cooperation. Group to group
dialogues are seen as appropriate means to encourage
such developments. ---- Elfriede Regelsberger
Regional Cooperation Instruments
The following types of regional cooperation
instruments used by the EU:
- Association Agreements (first type is association
leading to the establishment of a customs union;
second type is represented by the Lome
Convention – a preferential trade agreement
with a strong development component)
- Cooperation Agreements (usually more loose,
but also more comprehensive – trade,
development cooperation, scientific, political)
References / Suggested readings
Communication from the Commission: A new partnership
with Southeast Asia
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/asia/news/ip03_961.htm)
Report by Miguel Santos Neves “Changes in Southeast
Asia and its impact on EU-ASEAN relations”
(http://infoeuropa.eurocid.pt/opac/?func=direct&1_base=CIE01&doc_number=000020839)
A World Player: The EU’s external relations
http://europa.eu.int/comm/publications
Useful websites:
European Council on Foreign Relations (www.ecfr.eu)
Europe’s world (www.europesworld.org)
www.EurActiv.com
ASEAN Secretariat (www.aseansec.org)