The Lisbon Treaty and the EU policy towards the eastern neighbourhood: an analysis of the institutional changes

Although the external policy is not a policy area in which the balance between the competences of the EU member states and the Community is profoundly altered with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty that entered into force in December 2009, the Treaty has brought about considerable changes with respect to the institutional dynamics of the way in which the EU''s external action will be operationalized. The underlying aim is ''ensuring greater coherence and efficiency in the EU''s external action''. The Lisbon Treaty and the newly created EEAS are expected to bring about considerable change with respect to the inter- and intra-institutional relations concerning the management of the EU''s external policy. Taking into consideration the intergovernmental vs. supranational policy making debate in the field of EU''s external relations, the paper aims at presenting an analysis of the potential implications of the institutional changes on EU policy-making with respect to external relations with an emphasis on the Community policies focusing on the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership.