The EU is undermining its own foreign policy by refusing to act as strongly in the diplomatic arena as its competitors

The EU has long aspired to be a major player in global affairs. Despite having considerable diplomatic resources, however, Daniel C. Thomas argues that the organisation consistently punches below its weight in negotiations. Using disputes over the International Criminal Court as a case study, he concludes that even when there is a high degree of unity between member states, the EU is often undercut by countries such as the United States who are willing to act more forcefully in the diplomatic arena.