@article {Robinson:2015:1364-971X:235,
title = "Painting the CFSP in national colours: Portuguese strategies to help shape the EUs external relations",
journal = "International Journal of Iberian Studies",
parent_itemid = "infobike://intellect/ijis",
publishercode ="intellect",
year = "2015",
volume = "28",
number = "2-3",
publication date ="2015-06-01T00:00:00",
pages = "235-255",
itemtype = "ARTICLE",
issn = "1364-971X",
eissn = "1758-9150",
url = "https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/ijis/2015/00000028/f0020002/art00006",
doi = "doi:10.1386/ijis.28.2-3.235_1",
keyword = "Lusophone world, Portuguese foreign policy, European Union, European Union presidencies, Brazil, Africa, Portugal",
author = "Robinson, Steven",
abstract = "The agenda-setting power of the rotating Council presidency presented successive Portuguese governments with an opportunity to externalize the countrys core foreign-policy priorities onto the European level. As such, Portugals presidencies of the Council of the European
Union have been particularly instrumental in formalizing relations between the EU and the Lusophone world. The first and second EUAfrica summits, the first EUBrazil summit, the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the Executive Secretariat of the
Community of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP), and the closer association of Cape Verde to the EU, all occurred while Portugal held the rotating Council presidency. This article discusses the strategies, challenges and successes of the three Portuguese presidencies (1992, 2000 and 2007)
in shaping the EUs Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It also explores the options available to Portugal in the post-Lisbon era, where the rotating Council presidencys agenda-setting powers are considerably reduced with regard to CFSP matters. Both prior to and since
the Treaty of Lisbon coming into force, Portugals strategy has been to stress its historic links to Africa and Brazil, as these relations constitute Portugals contribution to building the CFSP, furthering its core national foreign-policy priorities by putting its position in
the Lusophone world at the disposal of the European Unions external action.",
}