C. 5 EU External Relations and Foreign Policy Fact Sheets

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, treaties, institutions, and instruments of the European Union's external relations, trade, defence, and neighbourhood policies.

Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)

The EU's joint foreign and security policy framework, established in 1993 and based on Articles 21–46 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), designed to preserve peace, strengthen international security, and promote democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

Foreign Affairs Council (FAC)

The primary decision-making body that develops and implements the CFSP under the guidance of the European Council, composed of the High Representative and the foreign ministers of EU Member States.

Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)

A treaty-based framework initiated in 2017 under Article 42 TEU allowing participating EU Member States to jointly plan, develop, and invest in shared military capability projects with legally binding commitments.

European Peace Facility (EPF)

An off-budget financing instrument established in 2021 to fund the shared costs of military CSDP missions and operations, as well as military training and equipment (including lethal equipment) for non-EU partner countries.

European Defence Fund (EDF)

An EU budget instrument launched in 2021 and managed by the European Commission to support collaborative defence research and capability development projects.

EU Strategic Compass

A security and defence action plan adopted in 2022 to strengthen EU defence by 2030, establishing an EU Rapid Deployment Capacity of $5\,000$ troops and an EU Hybrid Toolbox.

Security Action for Europe (SAFE)

A financial mechanism set up under the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 to provide long-term loans facilitating collective defence procurement and national military spending increases.

Anti-Coercion Instrument

A trade defence tool adopted by the EU in 2023 providing a range of countermeasures—including trade restrictions, export controls, and procurement limitations—to deter and counter economic coercion by non-EU countries.

Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arrangement (MPIA)

An alternative dispute settlement mechanism established by the EU and other WTO members in 2020 to hear appeals of panel reports following the operational blockage of the WTO Appellate Body.

Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP)

An autonomous EU trade framework offering developing countries and territories non-reciprocal preferential access to the EU market by reducing or eliminating tariffs on their exported goods.

GSP+

A special incentive arrangement under the GSP offering zero duties on roughly $66\%$ of covered tariff lines to vulnerable developing countries that ratify and implement 27 international conventions.

Everything But Arms (EBA)

A specialized GSP initiative providing duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market for an unlimited period for all products, except arms and ammunition, originating from Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)

Development-focused, reciprocal free trade agreements negotiated between the EU and African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) regional groupings that comply with World Trade Organization rules.

Samoa Agreement

The overarching partnership treaty signed in November 2023 between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), replacing the 2000 Cotonou Agreement and featuring three regional protocols.

NDICI – Global Europe

The EU's primary financial instrument for external action for the $2021\text{--}2027$ period, structured around geographic programmes, thematic programmes, and rapid response actions.

Policy Coherence for Development (PCD)

A treaty-based principle requiring the EU to integrate and consider development cooperation objectives across all internal and external policies that could impact developing countries.

Global Gateway

An EU investment strategy launched in 2021 to mobilize hundreds of billions of euros for sustainable, high-quality infrastructure projects in digital, energy, transport, health, and education sectors globally.

Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

The European Commission department responsible for funding emergency relief operations, coordinating disaster response, and delivering humanitarian assistance worldwide.

rescEU

A strategic reserve of European emergency disaster-response capabilities and stockpiles—including firefighting aircraft, medevac planes, and medical equipment—fully funded by the EU under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

European Humanitarian Response Capacity (EHRC)

An operational toolbox established in 2022 to provide direct emergency assistance when traditional delivery routes are inadequate, consisting of common logistics services, stockpiles, and deployed experts.

EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime

A framework adopted by the Council in December 2020 enabling the EU to impose asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and entities responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide.

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

An annual award presented by the European Parliament to recognize individuals and organizations dedicated to defending human rights, fundamental freedoms, and democratic values.

Copenhagen Criteria

The essential rules established by the European Council in 1993 that define whether a candidate country is eligible to join the EU, covering political stability, a functioning market economy, and the capacity to adopt the acquis.

Acquis Communautaire

The accumulated body of common EU law, treaties, legislation, declarations, and court rulings that binds all EU Member States and must be fully transposed by acceding candidate countries.

Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP)

The EU's policy framework launched in 1999 to support regional cooperation, economic integration, democratic reforms, and the gradual EU accession path of Western Balkan countries.

European Economic Area (EEA)

An agreement entering into force in 1994 that extends the EU internal market and its four freedoms—free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital—to Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

EFTA Surveillance Authority

An independent body that monitors and enforces compliance with European Economic Area (EEA) internal market rules in Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Windsor Framework

A set of legally binding joint arrangements adopted in 2023 to adjust and implement the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland within the legal boundaries of the UK Withdrawal Agreement.

European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)

The EU's external relations policy framework designed to foster close political, economic, security, and cultural partnerships with neighboring countries in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and the Southern Mediterranean.

Eastern Partnership (EaP)

A specific regional dimension of the ENP launched in 2009 to accelerate political association and economic integration between the EU and six eastern partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Euronest Parliamentary Assembly

The parliamentary forum of the Eastern Partnership, comprising Members of the European Parliament and members of parliament from Eastern European partner countries to monitor and promote integration.

Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)

An intergovernmental organization launched in 2008 uniting all 27 EU Member States and 16 Mediterranean partner countries to foster regional stability, economic integration, and technical cooperation.

Ukraine Facility

A dedicated funding framework established in March 2024 providing up to $EUR\,50\text{ billion}$ in grants and loans to support Ukraine's recovery, reconstruction, and EU accession reforms over $2024\text{--}2027$.

EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine)

A common security and defence policy mission established in October 2022 to conduct training of Ukrainian soldiers on EU Member States' territory.

Pact for the Mediterranean

A cooperation framework launched on 28 November 2025 by EU Member States and southern Mediterranean partners in Barcelona, built on three pillars covering people, sustainable economies, and security/migration.

Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD)

An interparliamentary forum established in 1999 that facilitates biannual formal exchanges between Members of the European Parliament and the US House of Representatives.

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

A comprehensive bilateral trade and investment agreement between the EU and Canada, provisionally applied since 2017, that eliminates tariffs and establishes an investment court system.

Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat)

A 150-member bi-regional parliamentary institution established in 2006, composed of 75 MEPs and 75 parliamentarians from Latin American sub-regional parliaments, to monitor the EU-LAC partnership.

Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA)

A modern bilateral agreement format utilized by the EU to deepen comprehensive relations with Central Asian partner nations across trade, investment, political dialogue, human rights, and security.

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

The 2015 multilateral agreement between Iran and the E3/EU+3 providing for strict International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verification of Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.