In the post-9/11 world, the European Union has been trying to define its international presence in a way which corresponds to its economic power and enlarged membership. In an effort to assert its identity on the international scene, it has developed a very wide range of economic relations with third countries and international organisations. It has also developed a Common Foreign and Security Policy in the context of which it is gradually shaping its Security and Defence Policy. These policies are carried out on the basis of distinct, albeit interrelated sets of legal rules. This book provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of these economic, political and security aspects of the relations of the European Union with the rest of the world. It examines their genesis, development and interactions and places them in the specific context of the establishment of the internal market and the broader context of the increasingly interdependent international economic and geopolitical environment. Issues covered include the coexistence of Community and national competence in external relations, the approach of the Court of Justice to international law, the negotiation, conclusion and implementation of international agreements, the relationship between EC and WTO law and the development of the political and security policies of the Union. The book will be of interest to academics, practitioners and students of EU law.
