STUDY Upstream of Future Crises A Comprehensive Approach to European(External) Action IAN ANTHONY AND LARS-ERIK LUNDIN November 2015 „ „ The 2015 Action Plan taking forward the European Union’s comprehensive approach to external conflict and crises describes a working method that should influence and permeate all EU external action. The comprehensive approach methodology should not be set aside or abandoned when a particular crisis is in close proximity to the EU—even inside its common borders—or when key interests of important member states are at stake. „ „ Experiences from recent major crises inside the EU show the difficulties in achieving this ambition, sufficiently integrating both internal and external action into the overall response. The European Agenda for Security promulgated by the European Council in the spring of 2015 did not explicitly involve the European External Action Service. Likewise it is unclear how the launch of the consultation in September 2015 resulting in a Global Strategy in the foreign and security policy domain will engage those actors who focus on the internal security of the EU. „ „ This paper is intended to provide some preliminary thinking about how the comprehensive approach might be applied within the institutional framework developed on the basis of the Treaty of Lisbon. It does so within the context of respecting the financial framework accepted for the EU in the coming years(including overall limits on staff numbers) and given the political constraint that member states will be reluctant to transfer new competencies to the EU—and may try to return some existing competencies to member states.