Four decades ago Ireland’s voice on the world’s political stage was a mere whisper in the wind. As a tiny country with a population of just four million there was no way we could influence much bigger and more powerful nations.

But today as part of the European Union, Irish views and opinions on important global affairs are heard by the world’s highest-ranking politicians and decision makers.

As an independent country Ireland decides on its own foreign relationships and policy, but being part of a bloc of 27 countries with over 500 million citizens means we can also have our say on decisions that can bring peace to the world’s trouble-spots, deliver aid to areas devastated by natural disasters, tackle terrorism and combat environmental issues like global warming.

Founded in 1951 as the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the EU has developed into a formidable democratic entity that has to be included in finding solutions to the big global issues like poverty, climate change and terrorism that shape the future of our planet.

Back in 1972 when Ireland voted to become a member of the then nine-nation EEC, the bloc’s relationships with the rest of the world were only just beginning to develop through the Commission’s External Service.

At that time around 150 European Commission staff were carrying out mainly development and information functions in almost 30 consular missions around the world.

But as the EEC evolved into the European Union and became the world’s largest economic and trading partner, as well as the greatest provider of humanitarian aid, external relations became increasingly more important.

The Commission realised that it needed to forge political relationships to help developing nations end poverty through the promotion of Europe’s core values of sustainable development, democracy and fair trade.

Through the Directorate General for Development (DG DEV) the Commission began to coordinate positive relations with sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), the African Union and other developing communities and countries in Latin America and Central Asia.

The EU naturally also has an important role to play in spreading its primary goal of peace and security around the world, especially given Europe’s history of political instability and war.

Poverty and injustice are the main causes of conflict so bringing long-lasting stability and peace beyond EU borders involves encouraging prosperity and democracy and promoting human rights and the rule of law in places where they’re not respected.

Working together, EU member states have agreed external foreign and security policies and established strategic partnerships with international bodies that help achieve those goals.

Making sure future generations inherit a green planet and live in a clean, unpolluted environment is another reason why the EU’s role in global affairs is so important.

By working with international partners and agreeing measures to tackle climate change the EU can help protect the world’s natural resources and habitats for decades to come.

External Trade

Between them, the EU’s 27 member states account for almost one fifth of global imports and exports. Millions of jobs depend on developing external trade policies that ensure Europe’s goods and services remain competitive on international markets.

Being part of the European Union helps smaller member states like Ireland when it comes to world trade as the world’s bigger countries have an automatic advantage in the global market place.

The European Commission represents the EU as a whole in trade talks with individual countries and large regional blocks which helps Ireland and other member states compete on an even footing.

Through the Directorate General for Trade, the Commission negotiates agreements at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which is a global forum for international trade.

The EU also develops Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with developing nations to create free trade areas that ensure they’re treated fairly in the market place.

EU trade policies are developed taking into account that international trade can advance sustainable development and fuel prosperity all around the world.

External trade and investment will benefit all EU partners as well as play a major role in overcoming Europe’s economic crisis by allowing consumers in all 27 member states to access a wider variety of goods at lower prices.

Promoting Peace

The EU’s common security and defence policy (CSDP) is formulated to protect from the threat of global terrorism and promote world peace.
EU member states can work together to launch civilian and military missions to ensure peace and security in troubled regions. However, any decision to move to a common defence requires a unanimous decision of the European Council and it’s up to each individual member state to decide if it wants to participate in any military operation.

Details of ongoing missions and operations in 2011 is available here.

Collective European action through the EU’s institutions is also helping tackle terrorism, something Ireland has unhappy experience of.

The four pillars of the EU’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy - prevent, protect, pursue and respond – are designed to stop attacks before they happen and several terrorist plots in Europe have been prevented thanks to cooperation between national security and intelligence agencies and Europol.

The EU continues to promote efforts in the UN to further develop and implement a global strategy for combating terrorism. The EU also makes counter-terrorism a high priority in dialogue with key partner countries, including the USA.