The course offers a Foreign Policy Analysis perspective of decision-making and policy implementation in the domain of EU external relations. It examines the complex interplay of EU supranational and intergovernmental institutions and member-state governments across different policy areas. It demonstrates that the Union is a sui generis international actor and it strives to shed light into the most important variables that determine its external influence. The course analyses each major dimension of EU foreign policy (e.g., diplomacy, trade etc.) and it explains where competence for decision-making lies, which actors get involved and under which rules of decision-making, the source of available means and instruments, and the main policy priorities. Moreover, the course discusses the main challenges in the Union’s foreign policy such as the democratic legitimacy and accountability of decision-making, and the coherence, consistency and effectiveness of policy implementation.