8 workpackages, 1 project

Our research is coordinated over 8 workpackages, delivering hign quality research findings and policy recommendations as a coherent whole.

• Read a summary of the project context and main objectives
• Read a review of the work performed since the beginning of the project and the main results achieved so far
• Read about our expected final results and their potential impacts and use

Research in the first 18 months laid the foundations for the successful execution of the research project.

It did this by scoping existing research to establish the state of the art in the different sub-areas, establishing and defining core concepts and theoretical positions to inform our research, and identifying key and representative case studies to build a better understanding of different patterns and processes of transnational interactions. On a more practical level, we also used these early months to establish linkages between the different WPs (and the researchers within them), and to begin to identify non-academic “users” of our research – in particular, through experimenting with our innovative programme of CSIFs. In keeping with our understanding that the evolving global order is not simply Europe’s to construct as it sees fit, we also emphasised the importance of identifying key non-European voices and agendas. Our emphasis here was on understanding how and when they meshed (if at all) with European ideas and preferences, what non-Europeans think of when they consider the EU as a global actor, and in what policy areas the EU is perceived to be an effective and legitimate global actor that can influence the emergence of forms of global governance.

To some extent, these endeavours have continued through the second 18 month period. Theoretical understandings continued to be developed and revised as the results of applying them to specific cases became clear – particularly in the later starting case study WPs - and new case studies have been identified to further pursue findings and issues thrown up by original research. New forms of interactions, opportunities for collaboration, and integrative processes across WPs have been identified as a result of previous exchanges and the findings of early stage research are disseminated through the partners. To this end, while the second “open” annual conference was essential for allowing us to build up a thorough knowledge of the state of the field (beyond the partners), the third “closed” annual conference was (at least) equally important for the project as a whole by establishing the commonalities that already exist in research undertaken to date, and identifying scope for further future collaborations.

In our report to the European Commission for the first 18 months, we used the following diagram to explain how the research on the different WPs speak to each other and result in a closer integration than envisaged in the original application. We reproduce that diagram here as it continues to provide a good overview of how the different parts of the research project (defined not just by WPs, but by cross cutting research areas such as global governance and crisis) interact. We note, though, that combining the case studies together into a single category is something of a simplification, and perhaps does not fully represent the extent of research that is being conducted within each of the case study WPs.

We also continue to seek new ways of ensuring that our research has utility for user communities. The development of the AGORA forums, for example, has provided an excellent way of providing a two way interaction between research and policy. We have also moved to second stage CSIFs, where initial conclusions generated by our research have been presented and discussed with interested parties. These allow us to “stress test” our findings to date, to alter future plans in response to the feedback, and, in at least one case, to establish a potential new research project after GR:EEN is completed.

Finally, we continue to stress the importance of ensuring that we step outside of Europe – both to present our findings to date to non-European audiences and also to ensure that extra-European ideas and perceptions help shape our understanding.

These activities and objectives show continuity between the first and second periods – but in an evolutionary rather than static way. But there are also big differences between the two periods with the second characterised by a significant increase in activity. This is partly because later starting WPs had time to establish their agendas. But most importantly, the main objective of this period was, having established the foundations, to produce more research. More field work has being conducted resulting in more research findings being written up and disseminated in a number of different ways; through presentations at workshops and conferences (both internal GR:EEN ones and within the broader academic community), through working and policy papers, and through the submission of finished work for publication in books and articles.

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The GR:EEN FP7 project has 5 main components:

i) conceptual analyses of an emerging multi-polar world and the theory and practice of international organisation and networks in that world;
ii) evolving EU policy and practice;
iii) the effects of regional leadership from Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas;
iv) projects on the EU and multi-polarity within the fields of human rights and security, energy, resources and environment, trade and finance;
v) a foresight study detailing scenarios for EU policy towards the emerging world order. The research is theoretical, policy-oriented and with an interactive dissemination strategy to assure feedback from its target-publics.

The project's ten work packages run at different times across the lifecycle of the programme. Each work package is coordinated by one of the partners with input and contribution from other relevant partner institutions.

Work Packages

1. European Actor-Networks in a Multi-Polar World: Stocktaking and Theory
   • Coordinated by Warwick
2. The European Union and Global Governance: Multilateralism in an Emerging Multi-Polar World
   • Coordinated by ULB
3. The Role of Regional Leadership in Multi-Polarity: The EU, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific
   • Coordinated by UNU-CRIS
4. Europe and Global Public Policy 1: Human Rights and Security
   • Coordinated by Warwick
5. Europe and Global Public Policy 2: Energy and Environment
   • Coordinated by NUPI
6. Europe and Global Public Policy 3: Trade and Finance
   • Coordinated by UvA
7. Foresight
   • Coordinated by UNU-CRIS
8. Impact and Dissemination
   • Coordinated by ISPI
9. Management
   • Coordinated by Warwick
10. GR:EEN Fund
    • Coordinated by Warwick