Despite signs that Europe's confidence in its ability to address international crises has grown, more is needed to tackle the problems on its periphery. As the refugee crisis worsened in 2015, flaws in the EU response were laid bare. The success of EU multilateral diplomacy was mixed, with the Iran deal representing a high point.

The EU held a firm line in 2015 on Russia in a very difficult global environment, even when faced with challenges such as Moscow’s intervention in Syria. States renewed sanctions linking them to the implementation of the Minsk Agreement on the Ukraine conflict. Non-recognition policy on Crimea could be strengthened further.

The EU remained supportive of reform in the eastern partnership countries despite ongoing Russian intimidation in the region. The refugee crisis transformed the relationship of EU member states with the Western Balkans and Turkey, making them increasingly reliant on these migration transit states to manage their own external borders.

The Iran nuclear deal was the EU-facilitated success story of 2015, but there was also significant failure in the MENA region, as state breakdown and extremism worsened. The EU continued to lack a coherent response to the Syria conflict, which is profoundly affecting member states through refugee flows and terror attacks.

EU-US relations were strong in 2015, specifically on Russia and Ukraine. The EU took the lead on the Normandy format and sanctions in relation to Ukraine, cooperated on the Iran nuclear talks, and continued negotiations on TTIP. However the EU continues to lack a strategic response to reduced US engagement in the MENA region.

Competition between EU member states for Chinese capital grew in 2015 alongside a strategic push for engagement with the rest of Asia. As economic issues dominated, other foreign policy topics fell down the list of priorities. Few EU states challenged China on human rights, despite the situation on the ground deteriorating significantly.