The European External Action Service. Progress or Regress in the Political Integration of Europe?

Abstract

The article aims to analyze the European Union diplomacy, i.e. the
European External Action Service (EEAS), which was created based on
the decisions of the Treaty of Lisbon. The article presents such issues as the
theoretical difference between foreign policy and diplomacy, which are often
confused in journalistic texts, the origin of the EU’s foreign service, and the
definition of its character and basic tasks. The article also contains a discussion
of the role the EEAS plays in the Common Security and Defence Policy.
The article also deals with the EEAS inter-institutional location, which is
very important from the point of view of its daily functioning. The article
ends with some deliberations in connection with the role of the High Representative
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy as well as the role of the
member states in the current functioning of the European External Action Service.