GEURTS C.-M. & GSTÖHL S. - Speaking with one Voice ? The EU's External Representation (25h)

This optional course covers the political, legal and institutional aspects of the external representation of the European Union (EU). It explores how and to what extent the EU is speaking ‘with one voice’ in foreign affairs, its achievements and challenges. External representation has evolved over time, hand in hand with the development of EU external action and with the recognition of the Union as an international actor by third countries and international organisations. Yet the way and the degree to which the EU speaks ‘with one voice’ still vary considerably across policy fields and international institutions. The course addresses conceptual and practical dimensions of external representation, including the role of the European External Action Service and the EU Delegations, both in bilateral relations as well as in multilateral organisations (such as various bodies of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the OECD or the G7/8 and G20). The course concludes with a short simulation game on a case of EU external representation in a multilateral institution.

Professors: Charles-Michel GEURTS &  Sieglinde GSTÖHL

ECTS card 2020-2021