Five general directorates of the European Commission, the RELEX group, are responsible
for European foreign policy. A vicepresiclent of the European Commission will coordinate
European foreign policy from January 2000. Each general directorate has a horizontal and a geographical area of responsibility. These are discussed in the paper as well as priorities and the
future European Union strategy of the 2000 Agenda which runs to the sear 2006. The European
Union has foreign relations but no foreign policy as such. President Jacques Sauter admitted that
the European Union is no political dwarf but does not play a real role in the world stage. The
European Union has now in operation a common commercial policy, development and humanitarian
aid, amid a common foreign and security policy. This paper discusses commnon commercial
policy as developed by the Brittan Empire, with details of relations with the USA through the
New Transatlantic Agenda and the New Economic Partnership, with China by building a comprehensive partnership, and with the World Trade Organisation