Who Controls the European External Action Service? Agent Autonomy in EU External Policy

This article uses a principal-agent framework of analysis to discuss the European External Action Service's (EEAS) institutional design and policy mandates. Can the EEAS act autonomously with regard to the Commission and Member States? Are there policy areas in which the EEAS has greater decision-making autonomy than others? These discussions are central to understanding the post-Lisbon Treaty EU's external policymaking system and its potential strengths as an international actor.