The Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union and its relations with the United Nations: continuity or change after the Lisbon Treaty?

Abstract

Twenty years ago, the European Union started intervening in crisis and conflict management, and also in international crises, with more or less success. If this contribution has focused specially in strengths, more than in weaknesses, those exist too. These realistic premises have to be taken as an origin if the collaboration framework with the United Nations is to be reinforced. The planning and deployment of missions have not always been made as would be expected from an organization that aspires to play an important role as an «international global actor». From this perspective, the Treaty of Lisbon provides the EU with some new elements, such as the European External Action Service, that could contribute to a more global and integrated approach of crises management, concept that is also shared by the United Nations. However, it is also true that the Treaty of Lisbon leaves untouched the sovereign competences in the subject, and also that global approach requieres some specific capacities that are not well developed in the EU, such as command systems, communication and control, strategic information, surveillance and protection of troops, strategic transportation, etc. Therefore, it is evident that those capacities need to be reinforced if collaboration with the United Nations is to become believable and effective.