The European Commissioner for External Relations was a member of the European Commission with responsibility over the Commissions external representation in the world and the European Union's (EU) Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The responsibility was shared though between other Commission posts (see below) and the High Representative.
As a result of the Treaty of Lisbon, on 1 December 2009 the positions of Commissioner and High Representative were merged as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The first Commissioner to hold the post was Jean Rey in 1958, who later became Commission President. The last Commissioner was Benita Ferrero-Waldner who served from 2004 to 2009 in the first Barroso Commission.
Read more about European Commissioner For External Relations: List of Commissioners, Related Posts
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“A state that denies its citizens their basic rights becomes a danger to its neighbors as well: internal arbitrary rule will be reflected in arbitrary external relations. The suppression of public opinion, the abolition of public competition for power and its public exercise opens the way for the state power to arm itself in any way it sees fit.... A state that does not hesitate to lie to its own people will not hesitate to lie to other states.”
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“Subject the material world to the higher ends by understanding it in all its relations to daily life and action.”
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