20 June, 2024 | Luca Cinciripini

The EU’s role in restructuring global governance

The contemporary international landscape has been profoundly shaped by two significant crises: the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These events have not only tested the resilience of global governance frameworks but also highlighted the critical need for reform and enhanced cooperation among international institutions. Such a global context poses significant challenges to the European Union (EU)’s international role but at the same time offers it the opportunity to carve out a leading role in the process of restructuring global governance. In fact, this scenario makes it all the more urgent to address systemic weaknesses and to build a more resilient and effective multilateral system through a renewed commitment by the EU.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed profound deficiencies in the global governance system, particularly in international health security and crisis response. In Europe, the initially fragmented response by the EU underscored the need for better coordination and preparedness. However, the EU eventually managed to react in a cohesive way through initiatives such as the Next Generation EU recovery plan and the COVAX initiative for global vaccine distribution.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered a severe geopolitical crisis, challenging the international system’s ability to enforce international law and maintain regional stability. The EU, in concert with the United States, the United Kingdom, and other partners, led a unified western response by implementing sanctions against Russia and providing extensive support to Ukraine. At the same time, this crisis highlighted the EU’s need to diversify its energy sources and address food security issues exacerbated by the conflict.

Despite initial difficulties, these crises have demonstrated the potential for the EU to utilise its soft power instruments to a greater extent to improve its actorness, while also highlighting the necessity to expand its range of partnerships and to rethink the multilateral frameworks to engage both with rival powers and like-minded actors.

On the basis of these considerations, the recent REGROUP policy paper “The EU’s role in restructuring the post-crisis global governance” offers recommendations for the EU to enhance its role in global governance, leveraging its economic strength, diplomatic networks, and commitment to multilateralism to lead transformative efforts. In particular, it focuses on the following five aspects:

Championing a reform of the multilateral system

The EU should take a proactive stance in advocating for reforms in international institutions to improve their effectiveness in managing global crises. By engaging in diplomatic initiatives and strategic partnerships, the EU can work towards enhancing the inclusivity, accountability, and responsiveness of global governance institutions. This effort should focus on creating a more equitable global governance architecture that can better address the complexities of contemporary global challenges and align multilateral structures with EU interests and principles. These reforms should enhance the transparency of these institutions and addressing the lack of representativeness in multilateral bodies. This is crucial to ensure legitimacy to the global governance and to bolster the capacity of multilateral institutions to address emerging threats, promote human rights, uphold the rule of law, and foster sustainable development.

A dual strategy to engage rival powers and like-minded countries

The EU should pursue a dual strategy aimed at strengthening alliances with like-minded partners, and engaging in diplomatic efforts and deepening cooperation with rival powers on global public goods and transnational challenges, such as climate change and international trade, while preserving its core principles of democracy and human rights. To achieve this goal, the EU should balance the use of existing multilateral structures with the formation of new international agreements or partnerships, ensuring diverse actors are involved in addressing complex global challenges.

Promoting a sustainable partnerships with the global south

Addressing the transnational nature of global challenges requires systematic coordination with actors in the global south. The EU should prioritize the interests and needs of these actors in global governance reform, addressing their distrust in international institutions, enhancing the representativeness of these countries within international institutions and fostering sustainable partnerships. Capacity building initiatives and resource allocation mechanisms are essential to empower global south nations in shaping international norms and decision-making processes, thereby contributing to a more inclusive global governance system.

Protecting public goods through regulatory power

The EU can leverage its regulatory influence to promote high standards globally, contributing to a fairer, sustainable, and human rights-respecting global order and influencing areas such as climate action, healthcare, and digital regulation. By setting and diffusing international standards, the EU can play a pivotal role in safeguarding global public goods and ensuring that international norms reflect its values and priorities. Successful examples include the Emission Trading System (ETS) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), while recent initiatives like the Artificial Intelligence Act and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) show the EU’s ongoing efforts to establish global standards.

Combining internal cohesion with the development of EU’s actorness

Achieving internal cohesion and strategic convergence among member states is key to enhancing the EU’s actorness. Prioritising the reinforcement of EU competencies in crucial sectors, such as health and foreign and security policy, and promoting more efficient decision-making processes will strengthen the EU’s ability to respond to global crises. The EU must recognise that internal cohesion is inevitably influenced by global crises and promote policies that facilitate strategic convergence where full cohesion is challenging to achieve. By enhancing internal cohesion, the EU can project a unified and robust presence on the global stage.

The EU stands at a critical juncture in its role in global governance. By championing institutional reforms, fostering dialogue and cooperation with allies and rivals, prioritizing the Global South, and leveraging regulatory powers, the Union can build a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable global order. These strategic efforts could enhance the EU’s capacity to respond to global crises and reinforce its position as a leading global actor.

This article highlights some of the findings in the REGROUP paper “The EU’s role in restructuring post-crisis global governance”.