Contents: Introduction, Thomas Renard and Sven Biscop; Part I The Global Order: From emerging power to superpower: a long way to go?, Tanguy Struye de Swielande; Insecurity in the post-liberal age: key security challenges of the early 21st century, Tomas Ries; A multipolar world in the making, Thomas Renard; Multilateralism in crisis? Global governance in the 21st century, Marc Saxer. Part II The EU in the 21st Century: Europe's role in the 21st century, Janis A. Emmanouilidis; Developing a grand strategy for the EU, Jolyon Howorth; The EU's strategic partnerships with emerging powers: institutional, legal, economic and political perspectives, Antoine Sautenet; Is the EU a 'better' global player? An analysis of emerging powers' perceptions, Lorenzo Fioramonti; Asymmetrical multilateralism: the BRICS, the US, Europe and the reform of global governance (2005-2011), Richard Gowan. Conclusion: From global disorder to an effective multilateral order: an agenda for the EU, Thomas Renard and Sven Biscop; Index.

Thomas Renard is a Research Fellow in the Europe in the World Programme at Egmont - Royal Institute for International Relations. Sven Biscop is Director of Egmont's Europe in the World Programme and visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges and at Ghent University.

The emergence of new powers fundamentally questions the traditional views on international relations, multilateralism or security as a range of countries now competes for regional and global leadership - economically, politically, technologically and militarily. As the focus of international attention shifts from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the European states in particular are seen to lose influence relative to the emerging economic powerhouses of China, Russia, India and Brazil. European nations find themselves too small to engage meaningfully with these continent-sized powers and, in an increasingly multipolar world are concerned their influence can only continue to decline. This book analyses the shifts in the structure of global power and examines the threats and opportunities they bring to Europe. Leading European Contributors reflect on how the EU can utilise collective strength to engage and compete with rapidly developing nations. They examine perceptions of the EU among the emerging powers and the true meaning and nature of any strategic partnerships negotiated. Finally they explore the shape and structure of the international system in the 21st century and how the EU can contribute to and shape it.