Commissioned by the European Parliament, this study outlines concrete options for improving the external representation of the euro area in international institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank and the G-20. The study proposes a two-stage process, the first of which requires the creation of...

After the Irish voters rejected the Treaty of Lisbon in a public referendum on 12 June 2008, European Union leaders decided nevertheless to continue the ratification process, with the aim of achieving 26 ratifications by mid-October 2008. This plan failed, however, due to rising political and...

The Barroso Commission is coming to an end. At this stage it is impossible to foresee when the end will be or if the new (old) Commission President will be (re)elected in July 2009 by the new European Parliament. Nevertheless, based on contributions of national experts in 25 EU member states, a...

Despite the formal role laid out for the General Affairs Council (GAC) in the Treaties, it has been weakened since it was extracted from the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) and set up to function on its own. Its current uneven composition is leading to further...

This fully revised, second edition of the Ever-Changing Union provides a concise overview of the EU's history, institutional structures and decision-making processes. It looks at the fundamental principles of European integration and describes the progress of this integration from its beginning....

This paper by CEPS Research Fellow Piotr Kaczyński explores the possibilities offered to the EU as an actor in international negotiations as a result of the provisions and the ‘spirit’ of the Treaty of Lisbon and against the background of the complex internal political situation in the EU....

What would the EU need to do to its external representation to be effectively equipped as a global international actor in the emerging multi-polar world? In general, an extensive ‘upgrade' of the EU's external representation is required, since the EU often languishes in the observer ranks even...