EU security response to the Syrian conflict

The European Union is not only a large single market, it is also a common external action. This includes foreign affairs, security, defense, international trade, neighborhood policy, as well as development cooperation and humanitarian aid. However, in joint security and foreign policy, highly sovereign issues, the member states have maintained as much as possible distinct national policies. The Treaty of Lisbon entered into force, in December 2009, has been considered as significant effort to ensure better cooperation and consistency in EU foreign and security policy, but, its overall international position remains weak and other powers increasingly challenge European Union’ capacity to maintain their role and to defend their interests and values in a multipolar world of geopolitical competition. The aim of this paper is to argue, that the Syrian conflict is one more proof that foreign and security policy of EU remained strangely passive and in discrepancy with its ambition for active international engagement and has shown that the EU’s degree of strategic autonomy in the current international order is ultimately limited