Coordinating External Action Beyond Crisis

Despite the widely acknowledged links between health hazards and foreign policy and security threats, health concerns were largely ignored in EU external action until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Since COVID-19, a new Global Health Strategy has been developed and health concerns are more deeply integrated into the EU’s foreign policy. But it should not take a crisis to integrate policies with external effects.

This brief presents recommendations to boost the coherence and effectiveness of the EU’s external action by creatively coordinating tools, instruments and resources across multiple policy areas. There is no need to create new structures to do so – more effective use of existing resources can go a long way.

1. Boost inter-section coordination in EU Delegations

2. Improve tracking and oversight of mainstreamed policies

3. Exploit the full potential of the Team Europe approach in crisis and non-crisis situations