Publication

The reform of the EU's external representation includes a wide range of challenges, from third countries recognizing the new actor's prerogatives to internal EU actors' engagement in and contribution to discovering the new uncharted, often murky waters of EU foreign policy. This paper focuses mainly on the internal dynamics in the European Union and its main stakeholders. First, the actors in the EU external representation are examined. Then the point of departure for the EU and its member states is presented in relation to establishing their presence in international organizations. Finally, the focus switches to the issue of how the situation has been developing during the first 18 months since the Lisbon Treaty came into force.