By most objective measures, Europe must now be classed as a declining power

How has the European Union’s influence on the global stage changed since the turn of the century? Douglas Webber presents findings from a study of Europe’s power in seven key policy areas. He finds that on every area with the exception of regulatory policy, the EU’s power has either remained steady or declined since 2003. While some of this decline is attributable to the economic problems associated with the Eurozone crisis, it is also a mark of the difficulty EU leaders have experienced in negotiating common positions at the European level.

Monash University: European and EU Centre: Working Paper Series, No.1, 2014: Declining Power Europe? The Evolution of the European Union’s World Power in the Early 21st Century http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/europecentre/download/Working%20Papers%202014%2001.pdf

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