The Institute for European Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Institut d’Études Européennes at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, the UN University programme for Comparative Regional Integration Studies, and the Royal Institute for International Relations - EGMONT invite papers for the GARNET conference The European Union in International Affairs, to be held in Brussels, April 24-26, 2008. The deadline for abstracts is September 25. Papers should cover one of the four conference themes:1. The EU, the UN and Global Governance: Theories, Institutions, Processes, Actors. As a global actor, the EU is embedded in an international framework, including multilateral institutions and organisations. Contributions may address such topics as the role of the EU in treaty-based regimes, in international organisations or in more informal institutions such as the G8, and the ways in which these institutions form and influence the EU as an international actor. They may also explore in more detail the processes and actors that shape the EU’s role in global governance, including the implementation of the EU’s international obligations. In general, explorations of the institutions, processes, (legal) competences, decisions and actors present in EU-global governance relations are appreciated.
2. The EU in a Globalizing World: The Security and Economic Dimensions. Exploring the distinct, yet related policy fields of security and economics promises to help improve our understanding of the conditions of the EU’s role in a globalised world in different policy areas. Security: Security considerations include the formulation of EU strategies to deal with different threats as well as developments in the field of European Security and Defence Policy. Relevant security issues include global terrorist activity, conflict-resolution, non-proliferation, security assistance and support for reform, and peace- building efforts in various parts of the world, including on the EU’s new borders. They in particular cover the nexus between security and development and between security and energy supply. Economy: The EU has a very significant role to play in global economic activity and policy. While the European Commission has the leading role in the area of international trade, EU member states remain the prime actors in important other international economic contexts (e.g. World Bank, IMF), which results in a complex political and legal mix of shared EU and Member States’ competences.
3. The Interplay between EU Member States, the EU and International Affairs. The vertical dimension in developing an EU outlook on international law and politics raises various questions. For example, what is the impact of the EU’s internal multi-level order on the EU as a foreign policy actor and the formulation of “EU” foreign policy? How can the EU’s external activities be monitored and controlled? What role do various foreign policy strategies of EU member states play (e.g. isolationist, Atlanticist, protectionist, multilateral/ internationalist)? What are the driving forces of different strategies and approaches (threat perception, preferences, etc.)? How and to what extent do the activities of individual member states shape or contravene a common EU approach in international affairs? To what extent is the EU bound by international law in its international relations?
4. The EU, Interregionalism and the Challenge to Multilateralism. The EU interacts with other world regions and major players. As such, it promotes cooperation within and between different regions as well as with other countries, including under the new EU Neighbourhood Policy. What is the prospect of inter-regional cooperation fostered by the EU both with relevant formal organisations (e.g. APEC/ASEAN, NAFTA, the AU, UNECE, OSCE, MERCOSUR) and more informal groupings? What are the EU's strategies for dealing with other regions and actors, how efficient and effective are they, and which (legal) instruments are used? To what extent do these strategies challenge broader, global cooperation? What can we learn from these interactions regarding the analyses of EU foreign policy and European integration?
