Declining Europe, Declining Europe in multi polar world, EU global power, political power of EU, Defense and security power of Europe, Regulatory power of EU, EU global power, EU world leader, Trade policy EU, Influence of EU on world, Monetary power of EU, Asia vs EU, China Vs EU, regional power challenge to Europe

1. Declining Europe In Multipolar world
The turn of the 21st century has brought with it an emerging multipolarity in the
international systemwhereby multiple centres of power, or ‘poles’ axis, Debate prevails
over the EU’s particular classification as a ‘pole’ in today’s multipolar system. Power of EU
can be understood by analysing its ability to exert influence, shape, set global policies across
various dimensions such as political, economic, security, regulatory etc. The EU’s
multidimensional in the wake of other emerging markets such as China, India has been
analysed below.
1) Security and defence policy:
a) EU’s capacity to supply “hard” security beyond the borders of its member states has
barely increased. Except in the mission to combat marine piracy off the Horn of
Africa, where pirates’ attacks dropped by 95 % in the two years to 2013.
b) The refugee crisis, which saw 1.2 million people coming to Europe in 2015, has led
to a contentious debate among the Member States and fuelled a broader
questioning of the future of border management and free movement within Europe.
c) The EU seldom had a decisive and positive influence on the outcome of security
crises in its neighbourhood. It was side-lined when an Anglo French-led, US-backed
“coalition of the willing” overthrew the Gaddafi regime in Libya and had “little
political influence” there afterwards.
d) In Egypt it tried but failed to broker a deal between the military and a Muslim
Brotherhood president, as it found itself out manoeuvre diplomatically by Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
e) In the Syrian civil war, it was but a “fringe player” and not a mainstream decision
maker or action taker.
f) EU heavily relies on West for its security and avoids any international decision
making which would hurt interest of the US.
g) Real European defence spending fell by 10 % between 2005 and 2010 and was
declined a further 10 % by 2013. It further decline in 2015 by 0.4% compare to
previous year.
h) Its capacity to provide hard security was also undermined by the deep divisions that
security crises provoked among the member states, whether over Iraq in 2003, Libya
in 2012 or Syria.
i) The EU’s capacity to affect the outcomes of defence and security conflicts may not
depend entirely, of course, on its military strike power. It used “accession card”
while mediating in Kosovo and Serbia conflict by understanding Serbian
government’s EU membership aspirations. However, E U cannot wield the “accession
card”; everywhere its power is much more limited in security and defence arena.
j) EU proved impotent in the face of Russia’s annexation of Crimea by military force.
k) In its relations with North African and Middle Eastern states, it has prioritized
stability over democracy. Its response to the Arab Spring was “weak”. It has been
criticized on the grounds that €1bn in development aid to Egypt had “done little to
achieve its aims of improving democracy and human rights”

2. l) EU’s campaign to ban death penalty has been opposed by many nations including
US and India. EU may have contributed to this process of Human rights; its role was
not decisive.
m) Over the last 20 years, it has been unable to establish a coherent policy for Turkey,
and its migration policy is highly controversial.
n) European integration is said to have been a prerequisite for peace and stability in
Europe itself, and for its own development and prosperity. inward gaze makes them
substantially less appealing in the eyes of their neighbours (the Mediterranean
states) and also less appealing for those African states strongly connected to Europe
and are in search of new partners (those new partners now including China, India,
Brazil, etc.) In even more distant countries, Europe has an economic presence (for
example, Germany as an investor and exporter) but has no significant political
influence due to its inability to take on a “non-European perspective”
2) Regulatory Power:
Despite its economic and political struggles, the European Union exerts considerable
influence over worldwide markets through its regulatory and legal framework.
a) Is an area in which the EU has expressed its objective to be a world power. The
‘single market’ according to EU gives it “potential to shape global norms”.
Encouraging other countries to adopt European standards and norms in multi- and
bilateral negotiations.
b) Regulatory policies relating to chemical safety, vehicle safety, pollution are being
shaped by EU and followed globally. Many scholars described this as a process of
“unilateral regulatory globalization.”
c) It is an area in which the EU’s power has been growing and it could be rated as the
world’s dominant power. The EU’s regulatory leadership is a function primarily of the
size of its market (500million citizens), the world’s largest, which is underpinned by
its relative per capita wealth. It has been bolstered by closer political integration
notably on regulatory issues which has facilitated the adoption of common EU
standards, and its gradual enlargement -from 12 member states in the mid-1980s to
27 giving it better bargaining power to formulate global norms.
3) Environmental politics:
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