The European Union and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons: Let’s Agree that we Disagree

The European Union has traditionally been an efficient actor on nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, but a poor actor on disarmament, mainly due to internal decisions within the Union on this issue. However, due to the growing crisis in the global arms control architecture and the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), increased pressure is being exerted on the EU not only to adopt concrete positions on this issue, but also to act. This, it is argued, will be complicated, if not impossible, due to the internal structure and decision-making process of the Union, which cannot be asked to do more than it can do.