This book argues that in a range of policy areas - trade, multilateral diplomacy, security, development cooperation, democracy and human rights, energy security – the EU appears to be in retreat from liberal internationalism.

This volume sets out explicitly and systematically to bring together the two strands of political science– the study of the EU’s international activities, and IR theory – and thus to make a significant original contribution to a developing literature. It provides both a conceptual and empirical argument, the volume provides an innovative perspective on the analysis of the European Union as an international actor, and on the ways in which EU actions are formed and have impact. The volume deals with a number of topical issues in such areas as human rights, global governance and the roles of international organizations. It offers a research agenda based on rigorous development of the framework for role analysis, and demonstrates the ways in which this agenda might be furthered.

For years the European Union has been looked on as a potential model for cosmopolitan governance, and enjoyed considerable influence on the global stage. The EU has a uniquely strong and legally binding mission statement to pursue international relations on a multilateral basis, founded on the progressive development of international law. The political vision was for the EU to export its values of the rule of law and sophisticated governance mechanisms to the international sphere. Globalization and the financial crisis have starkly illustrated the limits of this vision, and the EU's dependence on global forces partially beyond the control of traditional provinces of law. This book takes stock of the EU's role in global governance. It asks: to what extent can and does the EU shape and influence the on-going re-ordering of legal processes, principles, and institutions of global governance, in line with its optimistic mission statement? With this ambitious remit it covers the legal-institutional and substantive aspects of global security, trade, environmental, financial, and social governance. Across these topics 23 contributors have taken the central question of the extent of the EU's influence on global governance, providing a broad view across the key areas as well as a detailed analysis of each. Through comparison and direct engagement with each other, the different chapters provide a distinctive contribution to legal scholarship on global governance, from a European perspective.

For many observers, the European Union is mired in a deep crisis. Between sluggish growth; political turmoil following a decade of austerity politics; Brexit; and the rise of Asian influence, the EU is seen as a declining power on the world stage. Columbia Law professor Anu Bradford argues the opposite in her important new book The Brussels Effect: the EU remains an influential superpower that shapes the world in its image. By promulgating regulations that shape the international business environment, elevating standards worldwide, and leading to a notable Europeanization of many important aspects of global commerce, the EU has managed to shape policy in areas such as data privacy, consumer health and safety, environmental protection, antitrust, and online hate speech. And in contrast to how superpowers wield their global influence, the Brussels Effect - a phrase first coined by Bradford in 2012- absolves the EU from playing a direct role in imposing standards, as market forces alone are often sufficient as multinational companies voluntarily extend the EU rule to govern their global operations. The Brussels Effect shows how the EU has acquired such power, why multinational companies use EU standards as global standards, and why the EU's role as the world's regulator is likely to outlive its gradual economic decline, extending the EU's influence long into the future.

Essay from the year 2011 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 86, Liverpool John Moores University, course: International politics, language: English, abstract: It is widely agreed that the EU plays an increasingly important role in world politics. This essay will investigate to what extent is EU an actor in terms of its global economic, political and military role. It should be noted that these areas are not isolated and clearly separable. On the contrary, they are closely interrelated and often overlapping. The essay concludes that the EU has a significant role in world politics in economic and to a lesser extent in political terms, however in military terms, EU has not been able or willing to develop strong foreign policy. While EU’s ability to translate its presence into actorness has been often criticised, it has nevertheless, assumed a leading role in many areas, such as development assistance, peacekeeping and environmental protection.

Divisions in the EU are considered, as well as the conflicts that have arisen from enlargement and foreign policy concerns. Leading specialists on European politics and society reflect on the nature of consensus and competition between elites, and whether the EU may be able to provide a sense of common identity and purpose for its citizens.

The European Union (EU) is a unique political experiment that challenges many of the prevailing assumptions about world politics. This new book, by one of the leading American scholars on the EU, examines its key role in global politics and how the continued success of European integration means that scholars must rethink international relations theory. Drawing on the author's rich array of theory and empirical research in this area, this book addresses many of the key issues facing the EU. Core subjects covered include: theories of European integration liberal international relations theory constructivism and the EU legitimacy in the EU European integration and national policies human rights and international law transatlantic relations. Andrew Moravcsik has made many seminal contributions to our understanding of the European Union. This is essential new reading for all students and scholars with an interest in the EU, international relations and theories of world politics.