The EU and Effective Multilateralism: Internal and external reform practices

This book investigates the extent to which the EU has defined and operationalised the notion of effective multilateralism.

Reform has dominated the agenda of the EU in recent years with the adoption and implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. However, various international organisations have also been in reform mode in an attempt to adjust their structure to the changing polarity and counter criticisms about a lack of legitimacy, accountability and effectiveness.

The EU and Effective Multilateralism examines the EU’s intention to make multilateral settings more effective, as formulated by the European Security Strategy in December 2003. Firmly grounded in new empirical research, it provides a balanced account of the fit between internal reform (the institutional reform within the EU, notably following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty) and external reform (the institutional reform of the international reform in which the EU operates).

This book will be of much interest to students of EU politics, European security, international organisations, foreign policy and IR in general.

Edith Drieskens is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Leuven International and European Studies (LINES) at KU Leuven, Belgium. She is co-editor of The Sage Handbook of European Foreign Policy (2014).

Louise G. van Schaik is Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute In The Hague. She is author of EU Effectiveness and Unity in Multilateral Negotiations: More than the Sum of Its Parts? (2013).