AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO CONFLICTS AND CRISES IN THE OVERALL STRATEGY FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION'S FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY

The Comprehensive Strategy for the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy, adopted in 2016, states that the European Union will engage in a principled and practical way in peace-building and promote human security through an integrated approach. It is essential that all policies at the disposal of the European Union are used coherently to implement the 'comprehensive approach to conflicts and crises', but the meaning and scope of the 'comprehensive approach' will be further expanded. The European Union will act at all stages of the conflict cycle, acting promptly in the prevention phase, reacting responsibly and decisively to crises, investing in stabilisation and avoiding premature disengagement when a new crisis erupts. Sustainable peace can only be achieved through comprehensive agreements anchored in broad, deep and lasting regional and international partnerships, which the European Union will promote and support.