EU History Explained - European Foreign Policy: The Birth of the CFSP

In this new episode of #EUHistoryExplained, Giulia Bonacquisti, Project Manager at the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), takes a look at the role the United States played in the history of European integration.

In this podcast, we investigate how this informal cooperation formed in the so-called European Political Cooperation will lead over recent decades to today’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Two main Treaties are significant in this more recent development of European foreign policy: Maastricht, signed in 1992 and establishing the European Union proper. As part of this Treaty, one of its three 'pillars' becomes Common Foreign and Security Policy. Year later, when the Lisbon Treaty is signed in 2007 and comes into force in 2009, the Common Security and Defence Policy is born and the EU is granted legal personality, meaning it can conclude international agreements. But the road is not so smooth: in this episode we discover yet more challenges posed in the road to a European foreign policy. This episode is the second in a two-part series on European Foreign Policy.

EU History Explained is TEPSA's series exploring the origins of the modern EU. If you have ever wondered how the European Union of today came to be, or what lies behind the talk of politics being shaped in 'Brussels', then this is the series for you!

We would like to thank the Historical Archives of the European Union at the European University Institute for their contribution.

Script: Giulia Bonacquisti
Recording & Editing: Eva Ribera & Hugh Evans
Music: Garrett Bevins - Infinite - Infinite (Wondershare Filmora X)