Foreign and Security Policy
Spain was the first country to hold the EU presidency under the new Treaty of Lisbon framework, and as a result, establishing new institutions and personalities was a dominant theme. The establishing of the European External Action Service (EEAS) was especially challenging, and there were ongoing disputes between and within the EU institutions over the scope of EEAS’s mission, its organisational structures and its accountability. In the last week of the Spanish presidency, a deal on the EEAS was reached, whereby the EEAS’s operational budget now comes under the Commission’s authority, including €6bn of development aid, but the administrative budget remains separate. MEPs will have a say on a large part of the budget, and they will need to be informed in advance of strategic and policy decisions, highlighting how presidencies must now deal with an ever more assertive Parliament. It will now fall to Belgium to put this agreement into practice.
Belgian Priorities
Policy matters outlined in the Belgian government’s priorities include: continuing with the enlargement process and the pursuit of the broadest possible consensus, continuing with the development of the EEAS and reinforcing political strategic cooperation with NATO. As the ‘host country’ of both the EU and NATO command, Belgium is well placed to conduct dialogue between the two.
EU presidencies normally give a country the opportunity to assume a greater role on the world stage, but this may not be the case for Belgium, due to the ongoing political crisis at home and the greater role given to the President of the European Council and the High Representative. Indeed, the Belgian government has said that it is happy to take a supporting role and allow Mr Van Rompuy and Lady Ashton to take the primary role in foreign affairs. The fact that Van Rompuy is Belgian is, of course, a bonus for the presidency. The Belgian government’s intention to take a backseat role could give Van Rompuy and Ashton the space they need to come to the foreground of the EU’s international presence; on the other hand it could just pave the way for a continued and greater steering of EU foreign policy by British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
As is always the case in politics, and especially in foreign policy, even the best-laid plans can be blown off course instantly by events. With renewed tension in the Middle East, the continuing standoff over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the threat of confrontation on the Korean peninsula and a war still raging in Afghanistan, the EU’s ability to speak coherently and effectively on the world stage will continue to be tested in the coming months. On a less dramatic level, the relationship with the USA is subject to tension over sharing of bank details and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, uncertainty persists over how to take forward the relationship with Russia, and Turkey and the West Balkans continue to pose frustrations for the enlargement process. Belgian officials hope to see Croatia conclude its EU accession negotiations during their Presidency, while Iceland will formally start membership talks. It is the way that the EU, led by Lady Ashton and steered by the Belgian presidency, responds to these challenges and any others which may appear, which will determine how successful the next six months are.
Key dates
- General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils (19-20 July)
- General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils: (13-14 September)
- High-level Conference on Violence Towards Women During Conflicts (September)
- European Council Meeting to Discuss Foreign Policy Prior to UN General Assembly (September)
- Ministerial Meeting on Participation during UN week in New York
- General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils (18-19 October)
- General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils (13 December)