The book examines the EU's key foreign relations ­ - with its neighbourhood, with the US, China and Russia, and with the emerging powers - and argues that the EU's foreign policy needs to be understood not only as a response to crises and conflicts, but also as a means of shaping international structures and influencing long-term processes. Setting its analysis in historical context, this second edition has been updated throughout to take account of contemporary developments following the Lisbon Treaty, and will continue to be an invaluable guide to understanding EU foreign policy.