This volume offers the first comprehensive overview of the EU’s growing role as a diplomatic actor in international affairs, especially in the post-Lisbon era. The book examines the main players, institutional developments, and decision-making processes that underpin the EU’s external action, focusing on key policy fields such as security, human rights, trade, finance, and environmental politics. Contributors analyze the EU’s diplomatic engagement in bilateral, multilateral, and international fora, providing comparative perspectives on how the EU’s approach differs from traditional state diplomacy.

The collection also explores the internal and external challenges facing EU diplomacy, including the need for coherence among member states, the evolving role of the European External Action Service, and the impact of global power shifts. By taking stock of both successes and shortcomings, the book identifies the conditions that shape the EU’s influence in global affairs and highlights the opportunities and constraints of collective European diplomacy. The analysis is grounded in both theoretical frameworks and empirical case studies, making it relevant for scholars, students, and practitioners interested in the EU’s external relations and diplomatic evolution.