EU Foreign & Security Policy Priorities
European Union, the only supranational organization is a post-cold war creation. It is a political and economic union comprising of 27 member states-Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden after Brexit which led to UK’s exit. The attempt here is to grasp the foreign and security policy priorities and discern the connotations.
Foreign Policy Priorities:
In June 2015, the European Council tasked the high representative to come up with a global strategy on foreign and security policy by June 2016. The global strategy was tabled on 28th June 2016 by the high representative and five key priorities in the foreign and security policy realm were:
· The security of our union
· State and societal resilience to our East and South
· An integrated approach to conflicts
· Cooperative regional orders
· Global governance for the 21st century
The priorities in the foreign policy realm for the 2019-2024 period are:
Protecting multilateralism in an increasingly national, unilateral world: The world is more conflictual today and the EU needs to adapt to the changing times, although the supranational organization was thought of as a civilian power but defending interests would entail acquiring military capabilities. Protecting multilateralism not only entails utilizing economic and diplomatic means but also backing them up with military means.
Shoring up the transatlantic relationship: The Trump presidency was characterized with the American goliath treating the EU as a foe, since Europe relies on the United States for its security, improving the relationship is extremely important. It needs to ensure that the group speaks with a single voice and prevent division from within. Healthy transatlantic relationship would be vital for security and defence.
Dealing with a rising China: Firstly, EU needs to make sure it does not become a pawn in US-China rivalry. It needs to utilize the transatlantic relationship to hold the dragon accountable on issues such as human rights, trade practices. Managing relations with China would include preventing it from dividing the supranational organization from within and speaking with a single voice on issues of vital importance which is incredibly tough in an unilateral world.
Catching up in the race for artificial intelligence and new technologies: Europe is losing the Artificial Intelligence race at present since it does not have any leading tech firms, needs to support, and build leaders at home. It can set European standards for tech companies by prescribing rules and regulations as it has done through data protection law and privacy rules.
Security Priority:
On 28th July 2020, the European Commission launched the new “security union strategy” covering the period 2021-2025. The strategy “lays out the tools and measures to be developed over the next five years to ensure security in our physical and digital environment”. The four pillars of the strategy are:
A future-proof security environment: Individuals rely on both online as well as offline infrastructure for work and travel as a result, protecting the critical infrastructure is of considerable importance. The commission intends to come out with a new framework for a coherent approach towards securing the environment which implies beefing up cybersecurity measures. Protecting public spaces with stronger physical protection and adequate detection system as well as utilizing public-private cooperation.
Tackling evolving threats: The commission aims to tackle cybercrime by cooperating with Europol, EU agency for cybersecurity by creating a rapid alert system, implementing the legal framework as well as enhancing law enforcement capacity in digital investigations. Countering illegal content online by preventing misuse of the internet by terrorist, violent extremists, criminals as well as fighting child sexual abuse. Lastly, it aims to address hybrid threats which have arisen during the covid-19 pandemic.
Protecting Europeans from terrorism and organised crime: Herein it aims to fully implement the counter-terrorism legislation and extend the mandate of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to cross-border terrorist crimes. Attempting to tackle radicalization through an early detection system, risk management, resilience building, disengagement, as well as rehabilitation and reintegration in society. Agenda for tackling organised crime is formed to address drug trafficking, trade in illegal firearms, human trafficking, and environmental crime.
A strong European security ecosystem: Creating a strong security ecosystem by combating crime, terrorism and pursuing justice through tools such as cooperation and information sharing. Enhancing operational law enforcement cooperation between member states by streamlining as well as upgrading the available law enforcement instruments. Utilizing Eurojust to increase synergy between law enforcement and judicial cooperation. Safer internet centres to be used for raising awareness about security threats. Partnering with CEPOL for upskilling law enforcement capabilities in member states.
What is it trying to do?
European Union’s attempt at coming up with a common foreign and security policy represents the desire to unify the region internally and engage with the rest of the world as a single actor. Through the foreign and security policy, it is seeking to protect the European way of life whether that be respecting human rights, rule of law etc. The union also wishes to interact with the world via a multipolar lens in an increasingly national, unilateral world. For instance, the Donald Trump, the former US President decided to abandon the Iran nuclear deal unilaterally without consulting any of the member states of JCPOA.
In the foreign policy realm, it intends to do four things, protect multilateralism, bolster the relationship with the American goliath, deal with a rising China and catch up in the race for artificial intelligence and new technologies. How well the union manages these issues will affect its standing in the world. Protecting multilateralism is incredibly hard especially in a pandemic wherein countries have acted unilaterally, with Biden at the helm in Washington the relationship across the Atlantic could improve. Dealing with Beijing could involve partnering with United States on issues of mutual interests. Lastly, preparing the region for becoming a leader in artificial intelligence and new technologies would necessitate financial backing.
The renewed security policy represents the recognition of preparing the region to adapt to new threats and challenges. The four pillars of the strategy are necessary for keeping people in Europe safe and secure both physically as well as in the digital realm. This entails not only having a secure environment but also tackling evolving threats such as child sex abuse, illegal content online, preventing misuse by terrorists, violent extremists. It also includes protecting the people from terrorism and organized crime as well as putting in place a strong security ecosystem.
Final Viewpoint:
European Union launched its new foreign and security policy in 2019 covering the next five years. The policy priorities mentioned showcases its attempt to not only secure itself from the threats and challenges it faces, evident by the security policy, but also to define its role in world affairs through the foreign policy. The two policies will not only enable the union to keep people in the region safe and secure but also to demonstrates the issues which matter to them such as upholding human rights, rule of law. The success of the union and its ability to be relevant in the coming decades will depend on proper implementation of both the security and foreign policy. The supranational organization is one of its kind, it remains to be seen whether the two policies enable Europe to establish itself as a pole in the world.
End Notes
1) https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries_en
2) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/158/foreign-policy-aims-instruments-and-achievements
3) https://dgap.org/sites/default/files/article_pdfs/dgap_analysis_nr1-nov2019_web_0.pdf
4) https://www.statewatch.org/news/2020/july/eu-new-security-union-strategy-all-the-documents/
5) https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/european-security-union_en
6) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0605&from=EN
7) https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/european-foreign-policy-and-its-challenges-in-the-current-context/
8) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html
Pic Courtesy –Carl Campbell at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
