A world player - The European Union’s external relations

Since its birth in the 1950s, the European Union has been developing relations with the rest of the world through a common policy on trade, development assistance and formal trade and cooperation agreements with individual countries or regional groups.

The EU began providing humanitarian aid to those in need around the world in the 1970s. Since 1993, under the Maastricht Treaty, it has been developing a common foreign and security policy (CSFP) to enable it to take joint action when the interests of the Union as a whole are at stake. Defence is becoming an important aspect of the CFSP as the EU seeks to promote and maintain stability around the world. As it deals with terror, international crime, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and global issues like the environment, the Union also works closely with other countries and international organisations.

The EU’s common trade policy operates at two levels. Firstly, within the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the European Union is actively involved in setting the rules for the multilateral system of global trade. Secondly, the EU negotiates its own bilateral trade agreements with countries or regional groups of countries.

Development assistance and cooperation, originally concentrated in Africa, was extended to Asia, Latin America and the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries in the mid-1970s. The underlying purpose is always to support sustainable growth and development in the partner countries, so that they have the resources to tackle and eradicate poverty. The Union has every interest in supporting its partners and encouraging them to be successful and prosperous.

The EU’s agreements with its partners around the globe cover not only trade and traditional financial and technical assistance but also economic and other reforms as well as support for infrastructure and health and education programmes. They also provide a framework for political dialogue and contain a clause which enables the Union to suspend or cancel trade or aid if the partner country violates human rights. Moreover, in 2003, the EU decided that all new agreements must include a clause in which its partners commit themselves to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The EU has to make sure that the different aspects of its external policies are consistent with each other and convey a clear overall message. To help achieve this, it appointed a High Representative for foreign and security policy in 1999. In June 2004, EU leaders agreed in principle to create the post of EU foreign minister. This is one of the new arrangements laid down in the EU Constitutional Treaty.

The European Union promotes respect for human rights at home and abroad. It focuses on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It also seeks to promote the rights of women and children as well as of minorities and displaced persons.

Human rights feature in the EU’s trade and cooperation agreements with its partners and are a prerequisite for countries seeking to join the Union itself. The EU has maintained a human rights dialogue in recent years with countries like China and Iran. It has imposed sanctions for human rights breaches on several countries including Serbia, Burma/Myanmar and Zimbabwe.

The EU also helps pay for a range of activities that defend human rights, such as the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights which spends around €100 million a year on:

In addition, the EU offers lower tariffs on imports from countries which respect the basic working conditions and labour standards laid down by the International Labour Organisation.