Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy
The Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy was a member of the European Commission . He was responsible for representing the European Union at the level of the Commission vis-à-vis third countries, in particular with the help of the delegations of the European Commission . Since the establishment of the European Neighborhood Policy in 2004, this has also been the responsibility of the Foreign Commissioner. The Commissioner for Enlargement and the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid , on the other hand, were separate departments.
Since the establishment of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the appointment of a High Representative for the CFSP by the European Council with the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999, dual structures have emerged in the area of EU foreign policy, since the Foreign Commissioner and the High Representative have in some cases the same functions perceived. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on December 1, 2009, both positions were therefore combined to form the new post of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , who is also Vice President of the European Commission (so-called little double hat ).
The last pure external commissioner was Benita Ferrero-Waldner . Catherine Ashton took office as her successor in the Barroso II Commission and first High Representative after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty . The European Neighborhood Policy has since been taken over by the Commissioner for Enlargement , who, however, works closely with the High Representative.
