The European Union's visibility and coherence at the United Nations General Assembly. Issue 1 (1st January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Blavoukos, Spyros; Bourantonis, Dimitris; Galariotis, Ioannis; Gianniou, Maria
• Is Part Of: Global affairs. Volume 2:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 35
• Page End: 45
• Publication Date: 2016-01-01
• Subjects: coherence -- EU external representation -- UN General Assembly -- visibility; International relations -- Periodicals; World politics -- Periodicals; Geopolitics -- Periodicals; 327.05
• DOI: 10.1080/23340460.2016.1132650
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2334-0460

Abstract

Abstract : The Lisbon Treaty brought about significant changes regarding the EU's external representation system with new institutional structures set forward to enhance the role of the EU as a unified global actor. In this article, we focus on the UN General Assembly examining whether the coherence and visibility of the EU has increased in the post-Lisbon era. We operationalize and measure both concepts on the basis of oral interventions made by EU and EU member-states' representatives in the Plenary and in the six Committees over a period of six UNGA sessions. Our analysis is based on verbatim records, official EU/UN documentation and 41 semi-structured interviews with officials in New York and Brussels. We find a smooth and by and large successful transition from the Council Presidency-based system to the EU Delegation-based system of representation that enhances the EU visibility in the UNGA. We also posit that after a period of adjustment and overcoming of intra-EU institutional hurdles, the EU coherence has increased overall. Both our findings testify to the gradual but unmistaken positive effect of the Lisbon changes on the EU foreign policy system at least as far as the UN General Assembly is concerned.