Lady Ashton, Europe's foreign policy chief, is to meet a group of MEPs in an effort to settle differences that have delayed the establishment of the new European Union diplomatic corps, the External Action Service

The first skirmishes have broken out in what promises to be a ferocious institutional battle over who will control the European Union's common foreign policy, as member states fight off attempts from the European Commission to dominate the bloc's budding diplomatic service

Iain Martin calls for a British foreign policy. Hear, hear. But what would such a foreign policy look like? How would it differ from the European one, which Britain is currently bound to uphold (in the words of the Treaties) "actively and unreservedly, in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity"? Britain must take foreign policy back from Brussels A sovereign Britain should rediscover her sympat...

The Times looks at the creation of the European Union’s External Action Service (EAS), established under the Lisbon Treaty. The article notes that federalist EU politicians are seeking to establish a strong EAS before a potential “obstructionist” UK Conservative government takes office.

Nationally elected ministers decide on the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) of the European Union in Brussels. Currently the foreign ministers meet in the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC), but if the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force, they would convene in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), while the coordination of Council activities would take place in the General...

Introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, the European External Action Service is intended to give the Union a greater role in foreign policy. Yet its scope and competences are the subject of fierce debate among EU countries.

Social policy has been a contested area of European Community (European Union) policy at times. We look at social objectives among the general EU and EC aims before we present the objectives in the Title on social policy. *** European Union objectives Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) first mentions the objectives to promote economic and social progress and a high level of employment...

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, will unveil her long-awaited proposal for setting up the European External Action Service during the course of the week.

The text of David Cameron's statement on the European Summit was clearly designed as balm for the coalition's wounds. He devoted a large chunk of it to defending Britain's membership of the European Union in a clear effort to reassure the Lib Dems about the future direction of European policy. But this effort was rather undermined by the absence of the deputy Prime Minister. This wa...

Brussels waded into the UK's industrial dispute over employing foreign workers, promising to take a closer look at how European Union rules are affecting employees