A summary of the foreign affairs provisions of the treaty.
• Lisbon creates the post of president of the European Council, who will chair the European Council and represent the EU on foreign and security issues.
• It beefs up the role of the high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy, who will also be a commission vice-president. The high representative may also be invited by EU states sitting on the UN security council to present the union's common position, if one exists, on foreign issues.
• It will create a European external action force composed of officials from the European Commission, council secretariat, and staff seconded from member states.
The delegation of powers between the high representative and the president of the council in the field of foreign affairs has still to be decided. The make-up and nature of the EU's external action force must also be agreed by EU leaders later this year.
• The treaty creates a legal base for humanitarian aid (as distinct from development aid provision) and establishes a volunteer humanitarian aid corps.
• The European Court of Justice continues not to have jurisdiction over most areas of foreign policy, although it can rule on issues about sanctions.
ARTICLE 10C LISBON TREATY:"The union shall conduct, define and implement a common foreign and security policy, based on the development of mutual political solidarity among member states, the identification of questions of general interest and the achievement of an ever- increasing degree of convergence of member states' actions."
ARTICLE 24.3 OF THE CURRENT CONSOLIDATED EU TREATIES (without Lisbon amendments):
"Member states shall support the union's external and security policy actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity and shall comply with the union's action in this area."
LISBON TREATY: UNANIMITY RETAINED IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS:"Decisions under this chapter shall be taken by the European Council and the council acting unanimously, except where this chapter provides otherwise."