The European Union runs one of the largest diplomatic networks on the planet, with delegations in more than 140 countries. Yet on the biggest questions of war and peace, the EU can only act when all 27 member states agree.
Unanimity: the defining rule
Unlike trade or competition policy, the EU’s common foreign and security policy is decided by unanimity. A single member state can block a joint statement or a sanctions package. Supporters of the rule say it protects national sovereignty; critics argue it slows the Union down precisely when speed matters most. Proposals to move to qualified majority voting in some areas resurface regularly.
The High Representative
The EU’s chief diplomat, formally the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, chairs meetings of national foreign ministers and heads the European External Action Service, the EU’s diplomatic corps created in 2011. The role is often described as speaking for Europe, though in practice the High Representative can only voice positions the member states have already agreed.
Where the EU is strongest abroad
The Union’s most effective foreign policy tools are economic. It is the world’s largest trading bloc and one of its largest aid donors, and access to its single market gives it leverage that few individual countries can match. Sanctions, trade agreements and enlargement policy have historically shaped the EU’s neighbourhood more than any communiqué.