This week the EU revealed its new human rights strategy, an ambitious plan to 'place human rights at the centre of its relations with all third countries'. The key challenge will be to develop realistic objectives and a clear vision how to achieve them without repeating mistakes of the past.
Despite President Obama extending its use of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, the EU has been largely silent on the issue. But European leaders need to press the US to establish credible international standards to govern their use.
Europe would seem an unlikely place to look for fresh thinking regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Yet that is precisely what just happened.
Julien Barnes-Dacey has just returned from a visit to Syria, and returned deeply pessimistic about the situation on the ground, with hopes for a political solution appearing all but dead.
The lead up to the Egyptian elections has seen hope, pride and the anxiety of real suspense. But whoever forms the next government will face a real test in dealing with the economy, reforming institutions and addressing many other legitimate complaints.
A growing number of diplomats are arguing Kofi Annan's peace plan is failing. But is it better for the U.N. to oversee, and arguably provide cover for, the current violence or retreat and open the way for something potentially worse?
The Serbian presidential elections this weekend look familiar – but Serbia is a very different place to how it was in 2004 and 2008. It is normalising fast and its core concerns are far more similar to other European countries than they were before.
The prospect of a victory by François Hollande may be causing nervousness in Berlin and elsewhere, but the socialist candidate in the French presidential elections is a natural compromise-builder, and Europe should have no real reason to fear his victory.
Europe can help Burma reform, but its help must be gradual
No one wants to deal with dictators. But one year after the Syrian uprising began, the harsh truth is that Bashar al-Assad maintains the upper hand and the opposition – with its international backers – may have little choice but to cut a deal with him if they want to ease the Syrian people’s suffering.