How the EU Can Act Now to Assert Global Leadership

Stalemate over the EU constitution looks likely to continue for some time to come. What then can the EU do to enhance its international influence in the meantime? The EU should turn its attention to four pressing foreign policy challenges that desperately need European leadership, and on which it can act immediately. Afghanistan, Kosovo, Russia, and Darfur all present opportunities for the EU to showcase the civilian and military capabilities it has worked so hard to build in recent decades and make a bold statement about its future role on the global stage.