AIV opinion: EU must act more decisively and effectively
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The Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) has issued an opinion on possibilities for reform within the European Union (EU) in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), the EU budget, and protecting the rule of law.
An opinion was requested by the House of Representatives in the Netherlands with the aim of making the EU more decisive and effective, also in view of the shifting geopolitical relations. Antoaneta Dimitrova, professor Comparative Governance and Joris Larik, Associate Professor of Comparative, EU and International Law, were members of the group that drafted the opinion, set up by the AIV's European Integration Committee.
The AIV emphasises that decisiveness and support must go hand in hand. Reforms require clear choices by Member States and active involvement of parliaments. As an open economy and loyal member of the EU, the Netherlands has an interest in the Union being able to act effectively, even when that requires compromise or investment.
Without necessary treaty changes and within the current frameworks, foreign policy decision-making should be accelerated, the budget better used for cross-border public goods, and legal means should be made available to enforce the rule of law.
The opinion is based on literature and source research as well as interviews with various experts. It concludes with specific recommendations to better equip the EU for its geopolitical role within the existing treaties.
More information
Read the full AIV report (in Dutch)