Implementation of the Lisbon Treaty - Improving Functioning of the EU: Foreign Affairs, Update September 2016

Foreign Affairs as field of EU action has very distinctive constitutional qualities. Its external powers are broad, encompassing not only traditional foreign policy, but also development cooperation and number of sectorial policies such as trade, transport and environment. This revised and expanded report provides an analysis of the changes in the constitutional and institutional framework brought about by the Lisbon Treaty and assess the implementation of those changes including obstacles to further improvement of its implementation. This updated version takes another look on the matters of competence and mixed agreements as well on the role of the ECJ in foreign affairs.