The EU Governance System of External Relations

Abstract

The goal of this article is to explain six decades of EU external relations by adopting the modes of governance approach in order to a) detect the dynamic relationships among different actors involved in this policy domain; and b) explain the historical and changing institutional arrangements to address international crises, build institutions and embrace norms. Based on these premises, this article argues that member states and EU institutions interact in different ways to respond to the increasing demands for integration, producing at least three modes of governance based on Tömmel’s theoretical premises (this issue). After explaining the theoretical underpinnings and historical development of the cohabitation of three modes of governance in the EU system of external relations, the article concludes that the dominant patterns of policymaking vary from the empowerment of EU institutions (trade) to cautious approaches based on horizontal coordination (security) and to a mix of hierarchical and non-hierarchical instruments of cooperation (political-diplomatic).