I would reject the underlying assumption of this question that EU foreign policy has failed or is in a bad state. This is not true for the Iran nuclear dossier, the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, or other important issues. Rather, the result is mixed.

The Lisbon Treaty stipulates that the EU’s foreign policy high representative, who is also a vice president of the European Commission, chairs the meetings of the 28 foreign ministers and is the EU’s number one politician responsible for foreign policy. This means that the commission has a role to play, but not a central one.

Nevertheless, the commission could do much more to support EU foreign policy. The EU needs to strengthen the “common” aspect of its foreign policy, including within and between institutions. More coordination and cooperation is needed. In the fields of trade and development in particular, the next commission president should make sure that the new high representative coordinates closely with the commissioners for these portfolios. And the next foreign policy high representative has to make full use of the fact that he or she is also a foreign affairs commissioner and, as a vice president of the commission, a member of the college of commissioners.

The EU’s principle of Policy Coherence for Development, which seeks to take development cooperation objectives into account in nondevelopment policies, has to be filled with life. In the past, this has not always been the case, and the EU’s policies toward third countries have been self-contradictory. Especially with regard to peace building, it is crucial that the high representative’s short-term crisis management measures are followed up with medium- and long-term development policies.