[CFP for Current PhD scholars and early career researchers] Reviving multilateralism – what role for the EU?

Workshop theme

The principles-based worldwide order seems to be crumbling, marked by fragmentation in each commerce and protection. The US-China commerce conflict and the imposition by the US administration of “reciprocal” tariffs on allies and adversaries alike have disrupted world commerce. In protection, the US dedication to NATO has waned, prompting Europe to rearm, and placing pressure on current multilateral establishments, together with the UN. A shift from multilateral options can also be evident within the European Union’s adoption of unilateral commerce devices to defend its pursuits in a world buying and selling system the place the WTO appellate physique not features, and commerce coverage more and more serves nationwide safety pursuits.

This example poses a major problem to the EU, a world organisation of 27 sovereign states, whose founding treaties require it to ‘promote multilateral options to widespread issues, significantly within the framework of the United Nations’. In a world with fewer like-minded companions, can the EU play a task in reviving or reconstructing multilateralism with out US management? Can the EU’s embrace of a ‘strategic autonomy’ agenda be reconciled with a principled dedication to multilateralism? May the EU’s bilateral and plurilateral agenda lay the foundations for a brand new multilateral system, probably with a diminished US position? What would the EU’s position be in such a system, and the way can it guarantee alignment with its founding values of rule of regulation and democracy? Likewise, how can the EU keep away from centralised, executive-led decision-making that sidelines courts and parliaments whereas establishing this new order?

Matters of curiosity

We welcome abstracts that tackle, however are usually not restricted to, the next matters:

The consequences of the US-China commerce battle on world commerce and multilateralism and the EU’s responses to it.

The EU’s unilateral commerce devices and their implications for multilateralism.

The position of the EU in a fragmented worldwide safety panorama, together with institutional proposals for a brand new or reformed safety structure in Europe.

Methods for the EU to revive multilateralism, together with however not restricted to the UN, with out US management.

The EU’s bilateral and plurilateral commerce agreements as foundations for a brand new multilateral buying and selling system.

Methods to make sure alignment of a brand new multilateral system with the EU’s founding values.

Methods to keep away from centralised, executive-led decision-making within the EU’s multilateral efforts and safeguard compliance with the EU’s founding values of the rule of regulation and democracy.

The way forward for the WTO and the EU’s position in its potential reform.

The way forward for funding safety and the position of a multilateral funding court docket.

The worldwide position of the euro and the EU’s position in and cooperation with worldwide financial establishments.

The EU’s method to integrating nationwide safety pursuits throughout the worldwide rules-based order.

Comparative evaluation of the EU’s multilateral methods with different world actors.

Informations :

04 – 05 December 2025

Begins at: 09:00h

Payment: free

Venue: T.M.C. Asser Instituut

Organiser: T.M.C. Asser Instituut, CLEER, Utrecht College, College of Groningen

Deal with: R.J. Schimmelpennincklaan 20-22, 2517 JN The Hague, Netherlands

Extra informations will be discovered on the connected file