Europe's contribution to a value-based global order and its contestants

Specific challenge: The notion of and access to global justice have been at the centre of many debates about the objectives and legitimacy of global governance and international law. For some, global justice implies solidarity with all humankind on the basis of inter-culturally shared values. Others think that such a broad conception of justice is untenable, and that high levels of justice may, if at all, only be attained at the level of the nation-state. While the debate is open on what a just global order can be and which values it could or should comprise, one can identify certain conditions that global political action would need to fulfil to move closer to the ideal type of such an order. Parting from a European view of global justice and human rights, European policy-makers regularly portray the European Union as an ethical global player promoting values like democracy and human rights in its external relations. Moreover, the EU's engagement in the fight for sustainability and against poverty and conflicts in the world may be an indicator of a determination to spreading its values so as to render the world more just. However, the Union's real impact on global justice, also at the institutional level, remains not only underspecified but is often also contested.

Scope: Research should first look into the criteria for global justice and contrast various understandings of it, exploring European as well as non-European and non-Western perspectives. It should then examine whether and how various criteria for a just and value-based global order are met by the EU and EU Member and Associated countries' policies, activities and regulations in issue areas that may be of particular importance for the promotion of inter-culturally shared values and justice at a global scale, such as trade and development policy, the defence of human rights, the promotion of gender equality, religious freedom conflict prevention and resolution and the protection of livelihoods. It should also investigate the impact of governmental, non-governmental and transnational actors who contest the EU's activities and present alternative visions of global justice and how to obtain it. Research should ultimately come to statements about if and how Europe does - or does not - contribute to a value-based global order. It should identify facilitating and inhibiting conditions for European action that effectively promotes its values.

The participation of international partners in proposals submitted to this call is strongly encouraged.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 1.5 and 2.5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact: Research on the European contribution to a just global order, especially through institutions and law, will advance the understanding of the Union as a value-based actor in global affairs, while uncovering the conflicts that exercising this function creates with other major global players. It is thus expected that this research will shed empirical light on the potential for and limits to the EU's future place in a multi-polar global order. By identifying facilitating and restraining factors for effective EU external activities aimed at the export of values, research will provide the bases for future-oriented and evidence-based reflections on the contents and conduct of these external activities.

Type of action: Research and innovation actions