On the implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2025

(2025/2164(INI))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and in particular Articles 14, 16, 21, 24, 36 and 41 thereof,

–having regard to the report of 25 June 2025 by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy entitled ‘Common Foreign and Security Policy Report – Our Priorities in 2025’,

–having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0000/2025),

A.whereas the core objectives of the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP) include preserving peace, reinforcing international security and promoting international cooperation, and fostering democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights;

B.whereas certain historic and emerging powers exhibit complex behaviours ranging from close cooperation to sectoral confrontation; whereas in the current geopolitical climate, the EU, in some cases, has little choice but to opt for transaction-based agreements;

.

1.Echoes the concerns raised in the report by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) and is alarmed by the rapid pace of geopolitical change driven by the assertive military, political and economic pressures of authoritarian powers; notes with concern that the international system is more multipolar and less multilateral, where competition is replacing cooperation and trade, and where investment, information and migration flows are increasingly being weaponised; warns that such fragmentation threatens our strategic interests, security, prosperity and unity, and necessitates the mobilisation of our regional and global partnerships and alliances;

2.Calls, in this context, on the VP/HR to develop a forward-looking CFSP that pursues the objectives outlined in the following paragraphs;

Shaping the rules-based international order we defend

3.Recalls that the rules-based international order safeguards state sovereignty and integrity, enables peaceful dispute resolution and ensures that power is subject to law rather than force; is alarmed that the rules-based international order is under unprecedented strain from internal erosion and external assault; warns that its destruction leads to instability and conflicts worldwide, thereby weakening our own security and prosperity;

4.Underlines that Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine constitutes an unprecedented attack on the European peace order since the Second World War; recalls that Russia’s aggression must fail and thereby signal that force does not prevail over law, and discourage others from attempting to challenge borders by military means; demands, therefore, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, Russian withdrawal from Ukraine and the return of all children illegally abducted by Russia;

5.Stresses that any peace deal must feature robust security guarantees for Ukraine, be negotiated by its elected leadership and have the backing of its people; cautions against Russia’s disingenuous proposals aimed at prolonging the war, and warns that any settlement imposed by Russia or rewarding its aggression would gravely endanger European security;

6.Urges the Commission to actively support international justice mechanisms and ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes of aggression; urges the Commission to propose legislation that utilises the immobilised Russian foreign assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction;

7.Emphasises that Russia’s aggression destabilises the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood and triggers spillover effects in the Western Balkans;

8.Reiterates that the EU and all of its Member States must lead by example in upholding sovereignty and international law; underlines that its credibility and ability to protect its citizens and vital interests depend on its commitment to its founding principles, such as democracy, the rule of law and human dignity;

9.Expresses deep concern about the current state of humanitarian norms and the disregard for the protection of civilians under international law in the context of the protracted conflicts across the Middle East; reaffirms the EU’s commitment to the existence and security of the State of Israel and underlines its right to defend itself while fully respecting international law; urges the pursuit of a credible political process aimed at achieving a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders and Jerusalem as a shared capital;

10.Affirms the key role of multilateral organisations and regional forums as indispensable platforms for conflict resolution and global governance; warns that ‘mini-lateral’ formats risk increasingly fragmenting global norms, and require the EU to balance a broad and inclusive conception of multilateralism in close cooperation with its like-minded partners; calls on the Commission and the VP/HR to pioneer multilateral initiatives, firmly anchored in global rules, to ensure Europe’s security and prosperity;

11.Calls on the VP/HR to promote an effective and robust democratic narrative to counter autocratic pressure, in close cooperation with the Member States; encourages greater investment in strategic communication and the fight against foreign interference and information manipulation;

12.Encourages annual strategic reviews of threats to the rules-based international order, coordinated by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and followed by active measures to prevent further erosion of multilateral norms;

Fostering cooperation based on interests we share

13.Reaffirms that the EU’s external action requires credible value-based engagement; insists, however, that relying solely on normative power is insufficient; encourages a more assertive pursuit of the EU’s strategic objectives, while leveraging partnerships and alliances based on shared interests;

14.Encourages the VP/HR to seek tailored policies that address the expectations of the Member States and partner countries, and to deliver quickly on political agreements, thereby establishing the EU as a reliable strategic anchor;

15.Stresses that a solid transatlantic partnership with the United States and Canada within NATO remains indispensable and forms the core of our European security architecture; recalls that, to be a strong transatlantic partner, the EU itself must become stronger and more capable, particularly regarding its own defence and security; recognises that the United States now follows a more transactional approach as regards multilateralism and European security; underlines, in this context, the urgent need for the EU and its Member States to pursue strategic autonomy and invest in credible and sufficient defence capabilities; welcomes the deepened cooperation with Canada and other like-minded partners to safeguard shared democratic values and global stability;

16.Commends the strong and constructive partnership with the United Kingdom; welcomes the joint statement by the UK and EU leaders of 19 May 2025 following the UK-EU Summit 2025, outlining a structured dialogue on foreign and security policy; calls for its swift implementation;

17.Commends the close relationship with non-EU Western European countries and their strong cooperation on EU external action;

18.Emphasises the strategic importance of the Western Balkans and supports a credible political and security cooperation on their merit-based path to EU integration; stresses that the future of the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova lies within the EU;

19.Underlines that Türkiye’s strategic role as a NATO member and its cooperation with the EU are central to European stability and security; expresses strong concern about the democratic backsliding in Türkiye; urges the immediate release of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu;

20.Emphasises the strategic importance of the South Caucasus; condemns the authoritarian tendencies of the Georgian Government; calls for Georgia to return to the path towards the EU; supports the August 2025 peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan;

21.Stresses the urgent need to scale up the EU’s political and economic presence in Central Asia;

22.Stresses the need to strengthen and deepen EU cooperation with the Gulf countries on migration, digital transformation, security and the green transition;

23.Reiterates that a peaceful, stable and rules-based Indo-Pacific is of vital European interest; encourages the forging of closer CFSP ties with like-minded partners, particularly Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan;

24.Considers that the accelerating militarisation of China, as well as its military and political partnerships with Russia and North Korea, constitutes a key geopolitical challenge of the 21st century; underlines that the EU must adopt a multidimensional strategy that combines principled diplomacy aimed at upholding international law with economic engagement that safeguards our interests;

25.Notes that geopolitical challenges have strengthened the shared interests of the EU and India; supports an EU-India summit to launch a new strategic agenda;

26.Urges the VP/HR and the Member States to focus on developing stronger bilateral partnerships with like-minded African countries based, on the ‘more for more’ principle, while upholding the universal values of human rights and democracy; regrets democratic backsliding in a number of African countries;

27.Emphasises the need to deepen the EU’s engagement with like-minded countries in Latin America and the Caribbean;

28.Underlines the increased geostrategic relevance of the Arctic and reiterates the need for a coherent and up-to-date EU Arctic policy;

29.Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to intensify structured engagement with regional organisations – including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council – to develop inclusive regional security architectures and coordinate multilateral policy responses;

Establishing non-negotiable positions we treat as inviolable

30.Reiterates that the EU’s external action is irrevocably tied to the values and principles enshrined in Articles 2, 3(5) and 21 TEU;

31.Recalls that the EU’s credibility depends on its ability to act decisively when protecting its citizens and safeguarding its interests; emphasises that the threshold for decisive action should be consistently communicated and must include unambiguous responses to grave human rights violations; supports expanding the EU’s Magnitsky-style human rights sanctions regime to cover systemic repression and corruption;

32.Encourages deeper coordination with the G7 and other democratic partners to align responses to violations of global norms;

33.Urges greater attention to be given to the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians; calls for the protection of religious freedom to be integrated into the EU’s external action;

34.Calls on the EEAS and the Commission to develop benchmarks to assess the impact of EU sanctions and to regularly update the European Parliament, in this regard;

Increasing the impact of EU external action that we deliver

35.Regrets that the EU’s global visibility and political influence often falls short of its financial and diplomatic footprint;

36.Calls on the VP/HR to propose a coherent, strategic communication strategy that highlights the benefits of the EU’s external action and underpins EU objectives; encourages the EEAS to strengthen the EU’s political presence in our partner countries and to make our external action more accessible to audiences in those countries;

37.Calls for enhanced convergence between the EU’s and the Member States’ diplomatic services to improve synergies between national branding and EU messaging, in line with the ‘Team Europe’ approach;

38.Underlines that budgetary constraints pose a major obstacle to increasing the visibility and impact of EU external action; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to carry out a genuine exercise of prioritisation, in order to identify where EU external action can deliver the greatest political and strategic return;

39.Highlights the strategic potential of the Global Gateway initiative to increase the EU’s presence and visibility worldwide; welcomes the fact that the Commission has given priority to the implementation of its projects;

40.Recalls that the European Parliament has a distinct role to play in complementing the visibility and impact of the EU’s external action, thereby complementing the efforts of the diplomatic services of the EU and the Member States;

41.Recalls that the European Parliament’s exercise of its budgetary function is inextricably linked to its function regarding democratic scrutiny and consultation;

42.Believes that there is a need for stronger parliamentary oversight of EU external action, including regular access to confidential information and structured dialogues;

43.Underlines that each matter raised above requires an appropriate written response from the VP/HR;

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44.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.