Introduction: the energy policy of the EU and its external dimension -- Conceptualizing the Commission behaviour -- When the Commission asks too much: the legislative process leading to decision 994/2012 on Intergovernmental Agreements in the Field of Energy -- Unbundling the internal market in...

The world faces a multitude of global problems, on top of the need for poverty eradication. Climate change, natural disasters, state collapse, illicit capital flows, refugees and increasing inequality present new challenges to the international community. They require joint action for the...

In a globalized world, characterized by profound shifts in the dynamics of global power and by diverse threats to peace and security, the European Union should be an active and peace-promoter actor, according to its founding principles. Thus, the European crisis left hard to heal scars within...

In early 1990, the former Belgian Prime Minister Marc Eyskens metaphorically described the European Communities as „an economic giant, political dwarf and military worm”. However, the European Union’s economic power has the potential to influence the political behaviour of states and...

It is often claimed that the participation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) can mitigate the democratic deficit of the European Union. This claim rests on the assumption that civil society organizations channel citizens' concerns to the European institutions, a view which is also shared by...

In this paper, I analyze the evolution of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union and I assess the way in which the enlargements, from 2004 and 2007, influenced and may influence the development of this policy. My research is focused on the way CFSP objectives have been met,...

The Lisbon Treaty is one of the most important treaties of the European Union so far. It brings significant changes for the functioning of the Union after 2010, for it’s relationship with the member states and last, but not least, for the way that the Union will be seen by the rest of the...

The Treaty of Lisbon has brought major innovations in the institutional framework of the EU. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the possible consequences of these institutional innovations on the management and the implementation of the European Union's external action, particularly in...

Main challenges for the European security policy are caused by the creation of new states, nationalisms and ethnic problems, enforcement of religious fanatics, globalisation of economy as well as a threat of huge migration from poorer parts of the world to Europe. The most important issue, from...