Introduction

Some time ago, when discussing our different research interests, we were struck by the extent to which the external activities of the European Community/Union1 (EC/EU) impinged upon our areas of concern (global environment, development policy). This, we believed, raised two issues. First, that the cumulative impact of its external activities might suggest that the European Union was a significant actor in the global political system. And, second, that International Relations scholars, in focusing excessively upon the Union’s efforts to construct a common foreign policy, were failing to capture its broader significance.