External Relations

The EU is active in a wide range of policy areas. Enlargement, external trade, foreign and security policy, development and cooperation, humanitarian aid and civil protection are part of the foreign policy area.

Most important information sources on the EU institutions involved, the legal bases, important documents and news, databases and a number of other information options are compiled below.

EU Institutions

European Union, External Action
European Commission, European Neighbourhood Policy Website
European Commission, Directorate-General for Enlargement
European Commission, Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation (EuropeAid)
European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade
Export Helpdesk (European Commission)
European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO)
European Parliament, Committee for Foreign Affairs
European Parliament, Task force Enlargement (Archive)
Council of the European Union, Foreign affairs and international relations
ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX)

EU Policy at a glance

EU Policy by topic

European Union:
External trade ; Foreign and security policy ; Development and cooperation ; Enlargement ; Humanitarian aid and civil protection
European Commission:
Foreign affairs and security policy ; EU Enlargement ; European neighbourhood policy ; Trade ; Humanitarian aid and civil protection ; International cooperation and development

Relations between EU and Third Countries

Country index (European Union, External Service)
Candidate countries (European Commission, General-Directorate Enlargement)
Trade Negotiations (overview)

EU Legislation

Summaries of EU legislation: External relations
Legislation in force: External relations; Common foreign and security policy ; Customs union and free movement of goods
EFTA and EEA legal texts
ACP Treaties and Agreements
The Cotonou Agreement (European Commission, DG for Development and Cooperation)
Trade Agreements and/or Bilateral Trade Relations (by country)

Focus on: EU Enlargement

Enlargement policy ; EU Member States (year of accession)
Summaries of EU legislation: Enlargement of the EU ; Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria)
European Commission, DG Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negociations:
- Enlargement website
- Documents (strategy papers and progress reports since 2000)
- Current candidate countries
- Glossary
- EU-Western Balkans Strategy (Feb. 2018)
- Annual Enlargement Package 2018
European Parliament, Working Group Enlargement (Archive)
Candidate countries Eurobarometer (2001 - 2004)
Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)
Monitoring the EU Accession Process: Minority Protection (EUMAP; reports 2001-2002)
Accession of Croatia (2013): European Commission Reports

Publications: Reports, Documents, Journals

Green and White Papers

Green Paper: EU development policy in support of inclusive growth and sustainable development - Increasing the impact of EU development policy (COM/2010/0629 final, November 2010)
Green Paper: Future relations between the EU and the Overseas Countries and Territories (COM/2008/0383 final, June 2008)
Green Paper on the future Common European Asylum System (COM/2007/0301 final, June 2007)
Communication from the Commission: Global Europe - Europe's trade defence instruments in a changing global economy - A Green Paper for public consultation (COM/2006/0763 final, December 2006)
Green Paper: Diplomatic and consular protection of Union citizens in third countries (COM/2006/0712 final, November 2006)
Green Paper on alternative dispute resolution in civil and commercial law (COM/2002/0196 final, April 2002)
Green Paper on a community return policy on illegal residents (COM/2002/0175 final, April 2002)
Green Paper on the relations between the European Union and the ACP countries on the eve of the 21st century (COM/1996/0570, November 1996)
White Paper: Preparation of the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe for integration into the Internal Market of the Union (COM/1995/0163 final, May 1995)

Reports and Documents

European Parliament: Enlargement of the EU (Briefing papers, 1998-2002)
Enlargement of the EU: Progress Reports, Strategy papers etc.
EFTA publications (annual reports etc.)
e-EEAS Register (electronic register of documents)

European Commission, DG Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection:
EDRIS ; EU Aid Explorer

ECLAS (Catalogue of the Commission libraries): External Relations ; Trade

Press releases database:
External Relations; Development policy; EU Enlargement; Trade

EDZ-ArchiDok database:
IInternational cooperation. International relations. International law

Statistics

Statistical Office of the EU (Eurostat):
Trade statistics (Export Helpdesk; trade flows between any country and the EU since 2002)
EMN migration statistics (European Migration Network)

Speeches, Press Releases, News Feeds

Speeches

European Union, External Action: Mogherini ; Ashton
European Commission, DG External Relations: Ferrero-Waldner
European Commission, DG International Cooperation and Development:
Mimica ; Piebalgs ; Nielson
European Commission, DG European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement:
Hahn ; Füle ; Rehn ; Verheugen
European Commission, DG Trade:
Malmström ; De Gucht ; Ashton ; Lamy/Hubner

Press Releases

European Union, External Action
European Commission, GD European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement
European Commission, GD Trade
European Commission, GD International Cooperation and Development (EuropeAid)
European Commission, GD Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO)

News Feeds (RSS)

EU Newsroom (External relations and foreign affairs)
European Union, External Action
European Commission, DG International Cooperation and Development (EuropeAid)
European Commission, DG European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement
European Commission, DG Trade
European Commission, DG Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO)
European Parliament, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Council of the European Union: Foreign affairs & international relations
European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX)

Programmes, Tenders, Grants

EU Programmes

TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument)
Twinning (cooperation between public administrations of EU Member States and of beneficiary countries)
IPA (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance)
PHARE (Cooperation with the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe)
TACIS (Assistance to Countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia; 1991-2006)

Tenders

EuropeAid
Europäische Kommission, DG Trade
Europäische Kommission, DG European Neighbourhood Policy And Enlargement Negotiations

Other Internet Resources

CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement)
EFTA (European Free Trade Association)
IMF (International Monetary Fund)
OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)
UN/ECE (United Nations Economic Cooperation)
WTO (World Trade Organization)
ACP Group (General Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States)
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
Mercosur (Association of Latin America)
MEDEA (European Institute for Research on Mediterranean and Euro-Arab Cooperation, Brüssel)
Asia-Europe Foundation (Singapore)
Russian and East European Studies
Schweizerische Europapolitik (Schweiz. Eidgenossenschaft, Direktion für europ. Angelegenheiten DEA, Bern)
CONCORD (European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development)
FORNET (European Foreign Policy Research Network; 2003-2006)
Africa-EU Strategic Partnership
ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations)
SEIMUN (South European International Model of United Nations)