The Comprehensive Approach and European Union External Action

Focus on the EU Official

Resumo

This article was finalized shortly after the UK referendum announcing a Brexit and the European Council receiving a new European Union Global Strategy for foreign and security policy. Momentous times when “business as usual” hardly is an option inside EU institutions. The approach to the topic is broader than the topical issue of comprehensiveness in conflicts and crises. An effort is also made to take into account the actual working conditions of EU staff at headquarters in Brussels and in the field. The author argues that key messages to staff to apply a bold and ambitious comprehensive approach, will now be necessary and the academic and think-tank community needs to be helpful to this end.