European Union

At their Malta summit in early February, EU heads of state and government adopted a 10-point plan – the Malta Declaration – to address the Central Mediterranean refugee route. They agreed to intensify cooperation with the Libyan authorities, even as domestic struggles for power continue to rack the North African country. A panel of experts discussed possible options for the EU to help establish stability in Libya and the wider region.

On November 9, the European Commission published its 2016 Progress Report on the status of the enlargement process with Turkey, including an assessment of the country’s process of political reform. The next day Patrick Paquet presented the report results at the DGAP and discussed with panelists the state of EU-Turkey relations in light of the developments after July’s attempted military coup in Turkey, the EU-Turkey Agreement on Refugees, and Turkey’s role as regional actor.

Ende Juni präsentierte Federica Mogherini den Staats- und Regierungschefs die Globale Strategie der Europäischen Union für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik. Die Strategie erhebt den Anspruch, das auswärtige Handeln entsprechend den definierten Prioritäten und Zielen zu lenken; kann sie ihm gerecht werden?