DOI: 10.46340/eppd.2026.13.3.2
Lasha Baghaturia, PhD student
Georgian Technical University, Georgia
Edisher Japharidze, D.Sc. in Political Sciences
Georgian Technical University, Georgia
How to cite: Baghaturia, L. & Japharidze, E. (2026). The New Role of the European Union and Its Global Projects. Evropský politický a právní diskurz, 13, 3, 16-21. https://doi.org/10.46340/eppd.2026.13.3.2
Abstract
The transformation of the international system from a bipolar Cold War structure to a fluid and dynamic multipolar world has significantly altered the roles and responsibilities of major global actors. Under these new geopolitics, the European Union (EU) has shifted towards recalibrating its role on the global stage. No longer constrained by the limits of economic integration and regional peacebuilding, the EU has increasingly taken on a more expansive and ambitious role in international affairs. This reflects internal dynamics within the Union and pressures from the outside due to globalization, the rise of powers, and a waning liberal international order.
Historically conceived as a project for economic cooperation and conflict prevention among European nations, the EU has grown into a unique supranational entity with expansive influence in trade, environmental policy, digital governance, and normative diplomacy. As a regulatory superpower, the EU’s requirements frequently require worldwide guidelines, especially in data protection, the reasonable opposition rule, and natural lifestyle sustainability. This “Brussels effect” enables the Union to extend power without conventional weapons use but instead on the strength of its internal market and governance model. In an increasingly competitive and interlinked world, the EU aims to be relevant and a key stakeholder in defining the new world order. Through successful partnerships, multilateral diplomacy, and its commitment to rule-based governance, the Union aims to foster stability, sustainability, and democracy. However, achieving this picture demands navigating a very intricate spider web of challenges featuring internal divisions, externally generated dangers, and the necessity of project autonomy without fatally antagonizing major allies. As the world continues to evolve, the EU’s ability to act cohesively and effectively will determine whether it can shift from a largely regional power to a global power capable of influencing international norms and institutions.
Keywords: European Union, Global Projects, Environmental Leadership, Security Policy.
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