Primary Law And Policy In Eu External Relations Moving Away From The Big Picture

The international role of the European Union has featured prominently in current debates about the future of the Union, as well as the processes of negotiation and ratification of the Constitutional and Lisbon Treaties. The conclusion of the latter was seen as essential for the effective conduct of EU external relations, while the Irish referendum was received by European Governments and institutions as potentially endangering the coherence of the European Union's international role. This article challenges these assumptions. It highlights the problems of some of the Lisbon amendments, cautions against overestimating the significance of legal rules and procedures in external relations and argues for a renewed focus on the practical underpinnings of EU external relations.