The foreign and security policy of the European Union
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Tensions with nuclear-armed Russia, the ongoing threat posed by Islamic terrorism and an acute crisis in the Middle East - in recent years the 28 member states of the European Union have been operating in an environment that's changing drastically and rapidly. In response, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini developed the Global Strategy for the foreign and security policy of the European Union, which was adopted in 2016. At its core are the promotion of peace and a guarantee for the security of the EU and its citizens. It aims to increase efforts in areas such as defence, cyber security, the fight against terrorism, energy and strategic communication.
Under its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), which originated in 2003 when the Nizza treaty came into effect, the EU is intensifying its cooperation and partnership with international defence alliances such as NATO. Already, NATO and the EU are developing a joint strategy against so-called "hybrid threats", where military and non-military means are combined to weaken a target. These can include irregular combatants, disinformation, terrorist attacks or the disruption of critical infrastructure.
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