Engaging Iran: A test case for EU foreign policy

After the Iraq debacle, the EU badly needs a foreign policy success. Steven Everts argues that Europe's strategy of 'conditional engagement' has produced some modest results. But Iran is not co-operating fully with the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog. And hard-liners have thwarted the yearning of ordinary Iranians for genuine democracy. Everts concludes that the EU must be both tougher and more creative in engaging Iran.
Steven Everts was a senior research fellow and director of the transatlantic programme at the CER (2000-2004).