Lead Groups in EU Foreign Policy: The Cases of Iran and Ukraine
Journal: European Review of International Studies
Year: 2021

Abstract Since the creation of the EU, there have been instances in which a restricted number of member states has handled an issue of international security on behalf of the Union. This article argues that, while controversial, these ‘lead groups’ have been a valuable practice. They have been effective in generating intra-EU consensus on specific issues and spurring the EU into action, thereby enabling a European response in the context of conflict management and complex international negotiati