Horizontal Consistency in the Areas of the European Union's External Action (PDF)

Inhaltsangabe:Introduction:
The Lisbon Treaty introduced substantial changes in the field of the EU¿s external action. Firstly, many institutional innovations were introduced, most notably the high-ranking posts of the High Representative and the President of the European Council as well as Union¿s diplomatic service ¿ the European External Action Service. Secondly, there is an attempt to create a more unified legal order through the formal abolition of the pillar structure, the introduction of a single legal personality and the abolition of the hierarchical relationship between pillars. Finally, the Lisbon Treaty re-organised the EU¿s external action. With the Treaty of Lisbon entering into force, the external action of the Union encompasses the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), the common security and defence policy (CSDP), the common commercial policy (CCP), the development cooperation and economic, financial and technical cooperation with third countries.
According to Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU): ¿The Union shall ensure consistency between the different areas of its external action and between these and its other policies.¿ Consistency in EU external relations can be seen as a multi-layered concept, consisting of variety of dimensions, intertwined with other concepts and legal obligations in the Treaty as well as a political objective of the Union. Most importantly, it is a legal requirement through which the TEU accords to the Union the general responsibility for ensuring consistency of its external action as a whole but it charges the High Representative, the Council and the Commission with ensuring the implementation of these policies each in accordance with its respective powers. The dissertation will focus on horizontal consistency as an issue in EU external action and the legal as well as political implications of the institutional innovations brought about by the Lisbon Treaty. Whereas vertical consistency applies to the relations between the Member States and the Union, horizontal consistency designates consistency on European level, either inter-policy or inter-institutional consistency. Inter-institutional horizontal consistency is responsible for omitting gaps, avoiding conflicts and ensuring there are no overlapping competences between the European institutions. It is the strive for harmony, beneficial relationship and cooperation of institutional co-existence. On the other hand, inter-policy [...]