Agenda for a new transatlantic relationship: The EU’s to-do list

Abstract

The inability of the Europeans to define a common position with regard to the Iraq conflict has ruthlessly exposed the EU’s shortcomings: In the EU, recourse to intergovernmental action still gains the upper hand. It would be possible to continue to develop joint structures and institutions in Brussels dedicated to greater coordination; however, these will merely perform a decorative function unless the member states demonstrate the political will to pursue joint action. It is clear that common values that could serve to underpin a common foreign policy are missing in the case of both current and future EU member states.