Expert Surveys
Jordana, Jacint and Holesch, Adam, 1977- and Jones, Emily. 2026. "EU-values expert survey on EU’s external action: democracy, the rule of law and human rights". Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI)
Published: EU-values expert survey on EU’s external action: democracy, the rule of law and human rights
As part of the Jean Monnet Network EU-VALUES, we conducted the EU Values Global Expert Survey to understand how the European Union's commitment to its founding values is perceived from the rest of the world. Co-funded by the EU, the Network brings together nearly 100 academic experts from 21 leading higher education institutions across the globe to deepen our understanding of values in the EU's foreign policy.
Carried out in February-March 2025, the survey gathered 233 responses from experts in more than 40 countries. It covers five areas: the perceived influence of external powers; the EU's value identity and the presence of those values in its external policies; democracy and the rule of law, including the EU's internal enforcement record; human rights promotion abroad; and climate and environmental justice. The questions were built on evidence from EU treaties and other EU documents, alongside secondary literature on each theme.
The accompanying report is primarily descriptive, highlighting the main patterns in the responses and, where the sample allows, comparing views across respondent groups such as EU-based experts and those working in Asia, South America, or outside the EU. As some subgroup findings rest on relatively small numbers of responses, they should be read as indicative rather than definitive. Together, the results offer a global perspective on how the EU's values are seen beyond its borders, contributing to wider debates on the credibility and impact of its foreign policy.
Expert Survey on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European Union
RESULTS COMING SOON!
As part of the Jean Monnet Network EU-VALUES, 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.
Underway: The EU’s External Policy: Security and Multilateralism
As part of the Jean Monnet Network EU-VALUES, we are conducting an international expert survey on the European Union’s external policy, with a particular focus on security and multilateralism. This global initiative seeks to gather the views and assessments of academic experts from diverse regions to better understand how the EU’s values and principles are projected internationally and integrated into its foreign and security policies.
The survey represents one of the first large-scale, comparative efforts to evaluate the EU’s global image as a normative and geopolitical actor. It examines how effectively the EU promotes its core values - democracy, the rule of law, and human rights - while addressing key challenges to peace, multilateral cooperation, and the liberal international order.
The findings will offer valuable insights into how experts worldwide perceive the EU’s balance between values and interests, its response to evolving security dynamics, and its contribution to global governance. Results will be published in academic and public fora, contributing to a deeper understanding of the EU’s role and credibility in an increasingly complex international system.
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