The European Union has a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) which enables it to act and express its position on the international stage.
The CFSP is an area of the European Union's external action, taking the form of a specific policy covering all areas of foreign policy and international relations, as well as all questions relating to the Union's security, including the progressive definition of a common defence policy.
Origins and evolution
The CFSP has its origins in the mechanisms for foreign policy coordination between the Member States and was subsequently formalised by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. This policy was consolidated with the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, which gave the Union its own legal personality and the capacity to conclude agreements with states and international organisations.
The Treaty of Lisbon introduced a Title V into the Treaty on European Union entitled “General provisions on the external action of the Union and specific provisions relating to the common foreign and security policy" detailing the principles, objectives, power of initiative, decision-making procedure and mechanisms specific to the CFSP, including the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
One of the main features was the creation of the post of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, a post currently occupied by the Estonian Kaja Kallas since 1 December 2024, after Spain's Josep Borrell's term of office came to an end.
Duties of the High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission
The High Representative heads the CFSP with broad autonomy, special prerogatives and resources, including the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The High Representative also serves as Vice-President of the European Commission and is responsible for ensuring the coherence and effectiveness of the EU's overall external action in the areas of development aid, trade, humanitarian aid and crisis response, among others.
Regime and functioning of the Common Security and Defence Policy
The CFSP remains a specific intergovernmental policy where unanimity is broadly the rule. It is characterised by a number of special procedures and the general exclusion of the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union, with the exception of its jurisdiction to review compliance with Article 40 TEU and the review of the legality of restrictive measures under Article 275 TFEU
The objectives of the CFSP, as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union, are as follows:
- Defend their values, fundamental interests, security, independence and integrity.
- Consolidate and support democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the principles of international law.
- Maintain peace, prevent conflict and strengthen international security, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the objectives of the Charter of Paris, including those related to external borders.
- To support sustainable economic, social and environmental development in developing countries, with the primary objective of eradicating poverty.
- Promote the integration of all countries into the world economy, including through the progressive removal of barriers to international trade.
- Contribute to the development of international measures to protect and improve the quality of the environment and the sustainable management of the world's natural resources, in order to achieve sustainable development.
- Assist populations, countries and regions facing natural or man-made disasters.
- Promote an international system based on strong multilateral cooperation and good global governance.
The European Union maintains partnerships and policy dialogues based on mutual interests and benefits with key international actors. It also regularly holds Summits with those countries with which the EU has a strategic partnership, as well as many meetings at different levels with other countries and regional organisations from different continents.
Determining the Union's strategic interests, setting objectives and defining the general guidelines of the CFSP is the responsibility of the European Council, which brings together the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, at the highest level. On the basis of these general orientations, the Foreign Affairs Council (composed of the Foreign Ministers of the Member States and chaired by the High Representative) drafts the CFSP, taking the necessary decisions to define and implement this policy.
![Minister Albares, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission, the European Commissioner for Defence and the foreign ministers of Great Britain, Poland, France and Germany at the meeting on European security and Ukraine in Madrid. EFE]()
Minister Albares, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission, the European Commissioner for Defence and the foreign ministers of Great Britain, Poland, France and Germany at the meeting on European security and Ukraine in Madrid. EFE
Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
In order to fulfil the objective of maintaining peace and strengthening international security, the Union has established a CSDP as an integral element of the CFSP, which provides it with its own operational capacity overseas and takes the form of civilian missions and military operations in third countries with civilian and military resources provided by the Member States.
Since the publication of the EU Global Security Strategy 2016, the CSDP aims to support the EU's role as a global security provider, including decisions on the crises it faces, the means required and cooperation with partners requesting EU support in crisis management and capacity building.
In the field of capability development, in 2017 the European Council, actively supported by Spain and other Member States, launched the Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence (PESCO). This is an enhanced cooperation to improve coordination and increase defence investments in terms of developing the defence capabilities of participating Member States.
Through PESCO, Member States increase their effectiveness in addressing security challenges and in moving towards further integration and strengthening of defence cooperation within the EU framework. In 2020, the European Defence Action Plan was launched, which includes a financial instrument, the European Defence Fund, which supports R&D&I in the field, an initiative in which Spain and its industry play an important role.
These new CSDP tools are combined with renewed support for civilian missions with the 2018 and 2023 Civilian CSDP Compacts, the CARD (Coordinated Annual Defence Review) initiative of the European Defence Agency, the European Peace Facility (EPF, to fund lethal and non-lethal military equipment for EU partners, instrumental in supporting the Ukrainian armed forces after the Russian aggression in 2022).
Finally, the European Union has equipped itself with a Strategic Compass, a guiding document which, seeking coherence of actions in the CSDP framework and based on an analysis of risks and threats in the European environment, sets out objectives with related time markers for advancing in the EU's role as a global security actor.
![The Triangular Building, headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels. EFE]()
The Triangular Building, headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels. EFE
Spain's involvement in CSDP operations
In the area of operations, Spain shows its involvement in the CSDP by providing political support, but also by contributing resources and capabilities to the missions that the Union deploys in different geographical regions.
Spain's activity in recent years has focused on:
- The Horn of Africa and West Africa with operations and missions EU NAVFOR ATALANTA, EUTM Somalia and EUTM Mali.
- The military training mission EUMAM Ukraine in which Spain has trained some 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers on Spanish territory since its inception up to late 2024.
- In civilian missions, contributions to EUCAP Sahel Mali, EUAM Central African Republic y EUAM Ukraine.
During its Presidency of the EU Council in 2023, Spain also hosted the first exercise of the EU Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC), which would be activated in the event of a crisis with 5,000 troops anywhere in the world to defend the interests of the European Union and which should be fully operational by 2025.