O brakach i niedostatkach w polityce zagranicznej UE

The European Union strives to be a global actor in international relations. However, we should note the numerous structural, geopolitical and systemic weaknesses and challenges in this regard. When describing the foreign and security policy of the EU, we can speak of distinct shortcomings and defi ciencies. At present, the role of the EU in the field of military policy is limited. It has been effective neither in conducting the Common Foreign and Security Policy nor the Common Security and Defence Policy, which could have demonstrated its signifi cant impact on the development of international relations on the global scale. The events in Ukraine and the attitude of the ‘EU-28’ towards Russia, and earlier the Arab Spring, have confi rmed this conclusively. Despite numerous declarations and documents issued by the EU, we should not expect any landmark decisions regarding the formulation of the EU’s aims and tasks in the fi eld of foreign and security policy. For almost two decades, the European Union has been unable to fulfi l the resolutions concerning greater community involvement in solving the problems of international security. It seems that there are no grounds to assume that the fundamental weaknesses of the EU’s foreign and security policy will be overcome in the near future. In this article, the author shall analyse and present them in detail, as well as discuss the institutional, legal and treaty changes aimed at improving the effectiveness and operational functionality of the EU’s foreign policy and hastening the development of comon military capabilities.