Review of External Economic Relations and Foreign Policy in the European Union
European Law Books, 2005
2 Pages Posted: 12 Sep 2011 Last revised: 17 May 2013
Date Written: November 29, 2005
Abstract
Most of the book deals with very traditional and somewhat overlapping topics on the EU’s external relations. However straightforward the overall diagnosis in the book is, sepulchral silence remains in relation to the prognosis of the EU’s external relations. For example, in his conclusions, Martenczuk criticizes that “this distinction between three pillars of the Union, and in particular between Community competence and CFSP, is becoming increasingly outdated” (p. 415). It is fine to criticize and de-construct, but it does not suffice; it is necessary to propose alternatives and re-construct accordingly. His proposal limits itself to merely arguing that “the coherence and efficiency of the European Union’s external action would be increased if all its external activities were brought under one common legal framework” (p. 416). One would have hoped for an intellectually more serious and rigorous prognosis of the EU’s external relations than just that: the obvious.
Keywords: EU division of competences, EU external economic relations law, EU foreign policy
JEL Classification: K33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation