Initiative and voting in common foreign and security policy: The new Lisbon rules in historical perspective

Abstract

The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009 is generally believed not to have had a large impact on the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy. In fact, most commentators would argue that the 'second pillar' remained in place. The place of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) as the only policy area in a separate treaty (the Treaty on European Union (TEU)), even distinct from all other rules on external relations (in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)), indeed supports this view. In addition, the treaty itself makes quite clear that The common foreign and security policy is subject to specific rules and procedures (Art. 24.1 TEU).