THE EFFECTS OF THE EU FOREIGN POLICY INSTRUMENTS UPON THIRD COUNTRIES

Abstract

The Lisbon Treaty took concrete steps to strengthen the foreign policy area of the European Union (EU). For instance, the European Commission constituted Foreign Policy Instruments to affect third countries with different financial and operational actions. In the EU, decisions on foreign policy require unanimity of member states. Unanimity indicates the determination of the member states to meet on a common ground on foreign policy, and reflects the level of political integration of the EU. Accordingly, examining the effects of the EU Foreign Policy Instruments upon third countries can inform us about the level of political integration of the EU. This article, by using the case study methodology, intends to exemplify the EU Foreign Policy Instruments and to find out their effects upon third countries and some non-state actors. The research covers the developments of the last decade and concludes that the EU Foreign Policy Instruments are still not effective enough to change the policies and behaviours of the third countries. This conclusion indicates that the EU member states do not have a common accord on foreign policy, and political integration in the EU seems unlikely in the near future.