The EU-VALUES Network (EU Research and Education Network on Foreign Policy Issues: Values and Democracy) unites 21 leading higher education institutions from Europe and beyond to enrich the debate and deepen understanding of values and democracy in the EU's foreign policy.
Comprising nearly 100 academic experts from six continents, this coalition was formed with a focus on scholarly excellence and inclusiveness, emphasising gender equality and geographic diversity. Our network recognises the urgent need to bolster the EU's external legitimacy as a force for good amid global challenges.
European Values, Climate Policy and the Green Backlash: A Conversation with Catherine E. De Vries
European Values, Climate Policy and the Green Backlash: A Conversation with Catherine E. De Vries
Prof. Catherine E. de Vries (Bocconi and IE University) reflects on whether climate protection still stands as a core European value—and how resilient EU climate policy remains amid growing political pressure. Watch now to learn about:
How the European Union has embedded climate commitments into its internal agenda and external climate engagement.
Whether the EU is facing a green backlash under the second von der Leyen Commission and what this means for climate ambition in 2025.
How far-right parties are shaping the political debate around climate action, costs, and public support.
What the backlash could mean for the European Green Deal and the EU’s credibility as a global climate actor. - What it would take to make EU climate policy more politically sustainable in the years ahead.
This conversation with de Vries explores the intersection of values, power, and political contestation at a critical moment for Europe’s climate future.
Ideas and Insights from the EU-VALUES Network
The war in Ukraine has forced the EU to rethink its role on the continent, transforming enlargement from a normative project into a strategic instrument of security. In this blog, Seçkin Barış Gülmez examines Ursula von der Leyen’s speeches since 2022 to show how Brussels frames Ukraine’s EU accession not as routine integration but as a decisive tool against Russian aggression.
Amid rising geopolitical pressures, the EU’s enlargement policy reveals a troubling paradox: bold rhetoric on democracy, rule of law, and human rights paired with strikingly cautious action toward the Western Balkans and Turkey. In this blog, Erman Ermihan and Nasuh Sofuoğlu unpack the EU’s strategy of nihilistic responsibility—a performance of moral commitment that avoids real transformation—raising urgent questions about credibility, leadership, and the Union’s future as a normative power.
Voluntary Sustainability Standards are taking centre stage at COP30, where experts stress their role in advancing climate and supply-chain goals, reducing trade fragmentation, and improving traceability through digital tools. Read our reflections now to understand the key priorities, include cutting certification costs, strengthening inclusion, and harmonizing standards. As implementation accelerates, VSS will be vital for credible, practical, accessible sustainable trade.
The EU-VALUES European Dialogue Podcast:
Latest episode: Gender Backlash & Democratic Values: Lessons from Latin America for Europe
India, Europe, and the Ukraine War: Perceptions Beyond Brussels with Rahul Desarda
In this episode of The European Dialogue, we explore the growing global backlash against gender equality and democratic values, focusing on lessons Europe can draw from Latin America and the Caribbean. How are anti-gender movements reshaping democratic spaces across regions — and what does this mean for the future of human rights and democratic cooperation?
Featuring Magdalena Provis Ramírez, Executive Coordinator of the Observatory on Gender Backlash in Latin America and the Caribbean, the conversation examines how these movements operate and what European actors can learn from the region’s efforts to monitor and respond to them.
Check out the full podcast description for more information.
In this episode of The European Dialogue, we explore how the European Union’s response to Russia’s war against Ukraine is perceived beyond Europe — with a particular focus on India and the wider Global South. What does Europe’s value-based foreign policy look like from New Delhi? And what does this mean for the EU’s global credibility today?
Results coming soon: Expert Survey on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European Union
As part of the Jean Monnet Network EU-VALUES Network, we are conducting an international expert survey on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European Union. This global initiative gathers the perspectives of academic experts from diverse regions to assess the EU’s role, priorities, and performance in advancing the SDGs through its external action.
The survey represents one of the first large-scale, comparative efforts to evaluate how the EU contributes to the implementation of the SDGs as a global actor. It examines the EU’s leadership, policy frameworks, and instruments, as well as the extent to which sustainability objectives are integrated across areas such as development cooperation, trade, climate diplomacy, governance, and global partnerships.
The findings will provide valuable insights into how experts worldwide perceive the EU’s effectiveness, coherence, and transparency in promoting sustainable development. The results will be analysed and published in academic and public fora, contributing to broader debates on global governance, multilateral cooperation, and the EU’s credibility and impact in advancing the 2030 Agenda in an increasingly complex international context. Findings Coming Soon - Subscribe to our mailing list to be notified!
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