European Foreign Relations

Chinese umbrellas in Sarlat, Southern France

European Foreign Relations

EU Foreign Policy

1711, "pertaining to documents, texts, charters," from Medieval Latin diplomaticus, from diplomat-, stem of diploma (see diploma).

Meaning "pertaining to international relations" is recorded from 1787, apparently a sense evolved in 18c. from the use of diplomaticus in Modern Latin titles of collections of international treaties, etc., in which the word referred to the "texts" but came to be felt as meaning "pertaining to international relations." In the general sense of "tactful and adroit," it dates from 1826. Related: Diplomatically.

**********

Altogether EU foreign relations is an agglormeration of various national led policies adopted at European level in the interest of having one voice. This outcome of the Lisbon Treaty has ensured, that there is now one Commissioner in charge of foreign relation matters. However, in terms of the inner workings of the EU, this move has aggrevated even further the lack of democracy. Foreign relations entail already at national representative level people who work abroad but hardly in the interest of people on the ground. Even more difficult will it be for them to interpret what lies in the interest of Europe as whole. Quite often it happens that those who are appointed to EU related jobs may have been before ambassadors of the UK. The way these appointments are made way outside any control by ordinary citizens means that communication and diplomacy is too far removed from anyone 'back home'. Hence in this realm policy takes on another dimension, and equally is at risk of mere duplication (having European representatives besides embassies from Germany, France, Holland etc. in the same country).

Due to the internal crisis in Europe, and in particular of the Euro-zone countries, the voice of the EU has not been as of late as strong as it should be with regards to conveying to the rest of the world a sense for larger political units capable of matching demands of governance with need to further democratization at local level. An interesting case would be the Asian countries since they do look upon the EU as a model to learn from.

Likewise the break-up of the Soviet Union, the formation of Nato members, and the changes in the Arab world have with China and India posing new challenges made demands upon diplomacy in a way which is not matched really by efforts to seek reform. One prime example is the Schengen agreement and how visas are issues by the various national embassies, even though they all work under the same agreement. Thus there is some European guideline in place but the practical implementation is still subject to national references and can lead to different interpretations. This can mean in effect that the European Union is not perceived as a cohesive whole but rather has to offer a wide variety of different options.

HF 7.10.2012

^ Top

« Discussion about Creative Europe programme (2014) | EU foreign policy »

Ποιειν Και Πραττειν - create and do

Navigation

European Foreign Relations