Borrell urges EU to be foreign policy ‘player, not the playground’

In letter to ministers, new chief diplomat sets out his plans.

The EU's new top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has urged the bloc to step up and be a real geopolitical player or risk Europe becoming just a playground for other big powers.

Ahead of chairing his first meeting of EU foreign ministers Monday, the bloc's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy wrote a three-page letter to ministers late last week outlining his ambitions.

In the letter, seen by POLITICO, Borrell wrote that as "we see the rebirth of geostrategic competition," notably between China, Russia and the United States, the EU "has the option of becoming a player, a true geostrategic actor, or being mostly the playground."

His remarks reaffirm the new Commission's aim to be more geopolitically relevant, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, saying last week that each weekly meeting of the College of Commissioners will set aside time for a report on "external action." The new geopolitical push was also reflected in the Strategic Agenda 2019-2024, agreed by EU leaders in June, stating that "the EU needs to pursue a strategic course of action and increase its capacity to act autonomously to safeguard its interests, uphold its values and way of life, and help shape the global future."

Diplomats are keen to see how Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister, will evolve the activities of the External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic body, as the Commission and the European Council take on a greater say in EU foreign policy.

"We need to speak more the language of power, not to conquer but to contribute to a more peaceful, prosperous and just world," Borrell wrote before going on to cite Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as saying that "if we only preach the merits of principles, and shy away from exercising power in the geopolitical arena, our continent may always be right, but it will seldom be relevant."

Way of working

Diplomats have long discussed how to make EU decision-making in foreign policy quicker and more effective.

In a passage that will cheer those diplomats who have complained that the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) was turning into a "travel agency," where ministers talk about their trips but often take no actual decisions, Borrell promises change: "I will strive to make our discussions informed, interactive, political and result-oriented, and for outcomes that are operational," he wrote. "I intend, inter alia, to send you letters before each FAC meeting, setting out the scope, purpose and possible outcomes of the proposed agenda topics."

Borrell also noted that "trade and technology issues must now be considered as foreign policy issues on which we will have to take strong initiatives," and announced that he will also chair a "Commissioners' group for a stronger Europe in the World (CGSE) to facilitate a coherent whole-of -the-EU-approach in mobilizing EU tools," calling on EU capitals, often divided over foreign policy, for "greater coherence" between EU and member-country actions.

Setting priorities

Borrell split EU foreign policy priorities into two groups: more local "neighborhood" issues and broader geopolitical ones.

"First and foremost, we must anchor solidly the Western Balkans within the EU," he wrote, without explicitly naming North Macedonia and Albania, the two Western Balkan states with whom the previous Commission recommended opening accession talks — only to be blocked by France which insists the EU must first manage to work more efficiently before welcoming new countries into the bloc.

"It will be my priority to work for a Kosovo-Serbia global agreement and place Bosnia and Herzegovina on a path towards stability," Borrell wrote. "We need to agree on how to handle the enlargement process," he added, stressing that he will engage "to ensure we can reach a satisfactory agreement by the Zagreb summit next year." That is a reference to a meeting in the Croatian capital in May 2020 ahead of which many EU states hope to see a green light for starting accession talks with the two Balkan nations.

Among other priorities, Borrell highlighted Turkey, whom "we must consider engaging in a candid dialogue ... including at the highest level." And Ukraine "remains a priority," he said, calling for the "full implementation of the Minsk Agreement" signed in 2014 to stop the fighting in the Donbass.

In the Middle East, Iran (where he says the EU's "non-proliferation efforts ... will be key") remains a priority issue, as do Africa and Libya.

At a more geopolitical level, the "U.S is and will remain a key partner and ally," but at the same time "we need to work on our engagement with the broader world to become a true geo-political actor," Borrell wrote.

The letter does not include any reference to a proposal, put forward by former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, to move away from unanimity in some foreign policy issues and opt instead for a qualified majority. That's an issue that "is not part of the agenda today," Borrell told reporters on his way to the meeting.

Some diplomats say they already see a more proactive style at play, noting a statement that Borrell issued on Iran on Sunday in which he criticized "the Iranian security forces’ disproportionate response to recent demonstrations" — language they say is tougher than in previous statements — and a decision to push forward a Dutch initiative to legislate a worldwide EU human rights sanctions regime that was agreed by foreign ministers and for which the European External Action Service will have to submit a proposal.