Multilateralism sits high on the European foreign policy agenda and constitutes a founding principle of the EU's integration process. Yet, a comparative analysis of key missions and diplomatic initiatives in the field of crisis management reveals lights and shadows in the much-heralded ‘choice...

For several decades, Europe entertained a preferential relationship with its former colonies in Africa, which translated into a set of trade and development preferences. With the progressive diffusion of market liberalization, this preferential relationship came to be called into question. This...

In a changing world ridden with crises and characterised by a general redistribution of power, regional organisations need to reinvent themselves. Equally, the study of regionalism has to reject its traditional Eurocentrism to embrace new conceptual categories in order to describe more...

In recent years, the relationship between the European Union and Africa has undergone significant changes at the political and the economic levels. Trade reforms have taken place, and peacekeeping cooperation and political dialogue have increased. The African continent has become a test bed to...

In recent years, the relationship between European and African countries has experienced significant changes in terms of policies and main actors involved. At the trade and development level, the Cotonou regime has put an end to the 25-year preferential agreement sealed through the Lomé...

The European Union portrays itself as a different global actor. This self-representation has triggered a debate around the EU as a global ‘normative power', while providing momentum for innovative research into how other societies view and assess the global performance of the EU. For the first...

Aiding democracy has often been a top-down process. Not only has democracy assistance been overwhelmingly characterised by macro policies, but also when bottom-up policies have been attempted they have often addressed professionalised NGOs, with scarce grassroots membership and contact. Only...

This Policy Brief argues that the fixation with the use of the Index of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has misled Africa's policy makers. This approach has led to the replacement of informal economic structures with formal market systems, the exploitation of natural resources and the increase in...

This report focuses on labour migration policy frameworks in a regional context. It provides an overview of global and regional standards and subsequently focuses on policy evolution in the Southern African regions. In particular, it deals with the set of policy frameworks regulating labour...

During the last two decades, there have been various attempts at measuring and assessing the health of civil society. Some have focused almost exclusively on ‘counting' the nonprofit, while others have assessed the strength of nongovernmental organizations. Yet, these sectors are just a small...