About & Projects
European leaders are confronting a series of complex challenges, including the resurgence of war on the continent, heightened transatlantic tensions, trade disputes, and growing backlash against key multilateral institutions and implementing green policies. In this increasingly contentious international environment, it is more critical than ever for Europe to invest in its strategic sovereignty. However, the question of how to effectively pursue this objective – and how the European Union should wield its power and influence to do so – remain pressing and unresolved.
ECFR’s European Power programme aims to map European interests and values – and, in the post-coronavirus era, to understand how to defend and promote these. The programme seeks to balance the tensions between building European resilience and shaping a rules-based international system that delivers on global goods. By exploring this challenge in a range of policy domains, we aim to help set a foreign policy agenda that protects the EU’s core values and interests and responds to the issues on which there is popular support for EU-level action.
Climate & Energy
ECFR’s regular surveys of public opinion show that tackling climate change at EU level enjoys strong public support across many member states. European leaders should build on this. To do so, political leaders in key member states need to construct a compelling narrative for the European Green Deal tailored to their national setting.
By identifying the opportunities for individual countries, groups of states, and European leaders in general – and by stimulating public debate on the benefits of the European Green Deal – ECFR aims to encourage policymakers to take concrete action in implementing the deal while also facilitating the formation of coalitions of the willing among EU member states and mobilising climate action more generally. At the same time, we continue to analyse the geopolitical aspects of the European Green Deal and the EU’s relationships with other global players, including the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, as well as those framing themselves as part of a ‘developing world exceptionalism’, such as Turkey, and African states. This work strand is led by Susi Dennison.
Geoeconomics & Technology
Economic, financial and technological shifts are reshaping the global order. Globalisation has created world-spanning supply chains and with them, a web of dependencies. Meanwhile, profound changes to the economic landscape are reshaping the global financial system. And, increasing digitalisation and the emergence of disruptive frontier technologies create a host of new geopolitical challenges.
ECFR’s research on geoeconomics and technology explores these shifts and their geopolitical impact. It analyses trade tensions, the rise of non-Western financial systems, the green transition, frontier technologies and global technology rivalries. It also explores how these technological and economic changes impact relations with China, foreign interference and democracy. Finally, it recommends how the EU can boost ties with middle powers and emerging economies to create opportunities in this rapidly changing landscape.
Multilateralism
Europeans have traditionally built their foreign policies on trust in a multilateral, rules-based order. This trust is now being shaken. The most dominant structural feature today is no longer multilateralism, a rules-based order, or free trade, but a geopolitical climate marked by increased competition. Europeans must ensure they are in a strong position to negotiate better forms of cooperation with their allies and uphold the crucial elements of the multilateral system.
As part of this work, ECFR’s flagship Re:Order project explores emerging visions of the global order, as well as the interplay between economic might and geopolitical influence. Re:Order seeks to equip European policymakers and citizens with data-driven analysis and practical recommendations for collective action in an increasingly fragmented geopolitical and economic landscape.
Polling & Data Center
ECFR’s regular public opinion polling provides a wealth of data aimed at addressing Europe’s most critical foreign policy questions. The ‘Unlock Europe’s Majority’ project, in particular, aims at pushing back against the rise of anti-Europeanism that threatens to weaken Europe and its influence in the world. Through our polling in EU member states, ECFR’s analysis seeks to unlock shifting coalitions in Europe that favour a more internationally engaged union.