Requirement of coherence

The requirement of coherence is a provision of primary law of the European Union , according to which all institutions should contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the European Union in their actions. This principle is particularly important in foreign policy, as a particularly large number of actors are or have been active here.

Definition

Similar to the EU's cohesion policy , the coherence requirement aims to improve intra-European and intra-European cooperation. The two concepts can be distinguished based on their direction of action. While the European Union's cohesion policy is a key element in achieving greater cohesion within Europe, the requirement for coherence is an expression of the attempt to position the European Union as the most homogeneous player possible in international relations.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) also defines three dimensions of policy coherence that are not specific to policy fields: internal, horizontal and vertical (OECD 2002: 133ff.). Internal policy coherence describes the coherence within a policy field. The goals, concepts and programs as well as instruments must be coordinated and consistent (ibid.). Horizontal policy coherence, on the other hand, is about the coordination and coordination of different policy areas on the same hierarchical level (ibid .; Müller-Brandeck-Bocquet and Rüger 2015: 114). Vertical policy coherence also refers to the coherence of the various levels within a policy field or between different policy fields (ibid.). Vertical policy coherence should be brought to the fore with regard to the EU, since the EU is a “multi-level system” (cf.: Schmale 2008; Lucarelli 2006: 9).

background

Maastricht Treaty and the pillar structure of the European Union

The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union as a superordinate association for the European Communities , the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and cooperation in the areas of justice and home affairs ( three pillars of the European Union ). As a result of the different speeds of integration in the various pillars and the fact that the decision-making structures in the CFSP and in cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs were fundamentally different from those in the European Communities, a problem of coherence arose, particularly with regard to external representation: in EC matters ( e.g. foreign trade, development aid), the European Union was represented (in the broader sense) by the Commission or the Foreign Commissioner , but in CFSP matters by the Foreign Minister of the state holding the Council Presidency , or from the Treaty of Amsterdam of High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy .

The political will to overcome this problem of coherence is set out in Article 3 of the EU Treaty (as amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam) as follows:

“The Union has a single institutional framework which ensures the coherence and continuity of the measures taken to achieve its objectives while respecting and developing the acquis communautaire. The Union pays particular attention to the coherence of all external policy measures it takes in the context of its foreign, security, economic and development policies. The Council and the Commission are responsible for this consistency and work together to this end. They ensure the implementation of the relevant policies in their respective areas of responsibility. "

According to this, all actors concerned - despite the existence of different responsibilities - should coordinate and pull together.

Lisbon Treaty

The challenge of improving the EU's ability to act was taken into account in the Lisbon Treaty . In particular, the newly introduced "EU Foreign Minister" (officially High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy ) appointed by the European Council and at the same time the tasks of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the tasks of a Foreign Commissioner ( Double hat model) has the task of ensuring the coherence of external action ( Art. 18 para. 4 EU Treaty ). The EU Foreign Minister is also Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Council and one of the Vice-Presidents of the Commission. In addition, an integrated European External Action Service , made up of officials from the Commission, the Council Secretariat and the diplomatic services of all Member States, is planned to ensure a coherent European foreign policy.

literature

S. Dennis Engbrink: The coherence of the external action of the European Union. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2014, JusIntEu 89, ISBN 978-3-16-153187-3 .
Markus Gruber: "Giving Europe a telephone number". A cybernetic approach to the coherence management of European foreign policy . Diploma thesis, University of Vienna 2008.
Simon Nuttall: Coherence and Consistency . In: Christopher Hill and Michael Smith (Eds.): International Relations and the European Union. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, ISBN 978-0-19-954480-6 , pp. 91-112.

Individual evidence

^ The DAC guidelines: Combating poverty 2002 OECD Paris
^ The Foreign Policy of the EU 2015. Boston / Berlin
↑ Schmale (2008): History and Future of European Identity. Stuttgart
↑ Lucarelli and Manners (2006): Values and Principles in European Union Foreign Policy
↑ Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union ( Memento of July 12, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )

[1] The DAC guidelines: Combating poverty 2002 OECD Paris

[2] The Foreign Policy of the EU 2015. Boston / Berlin

[3] Schmale (2008): History and Future of European Identity. Stuttgart

[4] Lucarelli and Manners (2006): Values and Principles in European Union Foreign Policy

[5] Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union ( Memento of July 12, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )