EUR-Lex Access to European Union law
This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 12016M032
EU external action
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) Articles 205-222 — EU’s External Action
They aim to provide the EU with the necessary instruments to provide assistance to, cooperate with and develop relations and partnerships with non-EU countries, including through international agreements, as well as with international, regional or global organisations, in pursuit of the objectives of the EU’s external action as set out in Article 21 TEU.
Article 21 TEU sets out the principles on which the EU’s external action is based and its goals which include:
Article 21 also requires the EU to ensure consistency between EU external action and other policy areas.The EU’s external action covers 6 domains:
1. Common foreign and security policy (including the common security and defence policy) — Articles 23-46 TEU
2. Development cooperation — Articles 208-211 TFEU
3. Humanitarian Aid — Article 214 TFEU
4. Assistance — Articles 212-213 TFEU
5. Trade — Articles 205-207 TFEU
6. Solidarity clause — Article 222 TFEU
The solidarity clause provides the basis for arrangements allowing the EU and the EU countries to act jointly and use the instruments at their disposal:
For more information, see:
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 1 — General provisions on the Union’s external action — Article 21 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 28-29)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 1 — General provisions on the Union’s external action — Article 22 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 29-30)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 23 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 30)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 24 (ex Article 11 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 30-31)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 25 (ex Article 12 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 31)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 26 (ex Article 13 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 31)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 27 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 32)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 28 (ex Article 14 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 32)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 29 (ex Article 15 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 33)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 30 (ex Article 22 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 33)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 31 (ex Article 23 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 33-34)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 32 (ex Article 16 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 34)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 33 (ex Article 18 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 34)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 34 (ex Article 19 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 35)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 35 (ex Article 20 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 35)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 36 (ex Article 21 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 35-36)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 37 (ex Article 24 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 36)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 38 (ex Article 25 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 36)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 39 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 36)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 40 (ex Article 47 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 37)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 1 — Common provisions — Article 41 (ex Article 28 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 37-38)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 2 — Provisions on the common security and defence policy — Article 42 (ex Article 17 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 38-39)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 2 — Provisions on the common security and defence policy — Article 43 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 39)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 2 — Provisions on the common security and defence policy — Article 44 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 39-40)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 2 — Provisions on the common security and defence policy — Article 45 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 40)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title V — General provisions on the Union’s external action and specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Chapter 2 — Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy — Section 2 — Provisions on the common security and defence policy — Article 46 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 40-41)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title I — General provisions on the Union’s external action — Article 205 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 139)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title II — Common commercial policy — Article 206 (ex Article 131 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 139)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title II — Common commercial policy — Article 207 (ex Article 133 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 140-141)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title III — Cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid — Chapter 1 — Development cooperation — Article 208 (ex Article 177 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 141)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title III — Cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid — Chapter 1 — Development cooperation — Article 209 (ex Article 179 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 141)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title III — Cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid — Chapter 1 — Development cooperation — Article 210 (ex Article 180 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 142)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title III — Cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid — Chapter 1 — Development cooperation — Article 211 (ex Article 181 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 142)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title III — Cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid — Chapter 2 — Economic, financial and technical cooperation with third countries — Article 212 (ex Article 181a TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 142)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title III — Cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid — Chapter 2 — Economic, financial and technical cooperation with third countries — Article 213 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 143)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title III — Cooperation with third countries and humanitarian aid — Chapter 3 — Humanitarian aid — Article 214 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 143)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title IV — Restrictive measures — Article 215 (ex Article 301 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 144)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title V — International agreements — Article 216 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 144)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title V — International agreements — Article 217 (ex Article 310 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 144)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title V — International agreements — Article 218 (ex Article 300 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 144-146)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title V — International agreements — Article 219 (ex Article 111(1) to (3) and (5) TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 146-147)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title VI — The Union’s relations with international organisations and third countries and Union delegations — Article 220 (ex Articles 302 to 304 TEC) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 147)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title VI — The Union’s relations with international organisations and third countries and Union delegations — Article 221 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 147)
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — Part Five — The Union’s external action — Title VII — Solidarity clause — Article 222 (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 148)
Consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, pp. 1-388)
last update 06.07.2018