Europe
The Europe Programme conducts research on the politics and institutions of the European Union, its member states and non-member states.
The programme engages in the three pillars of UI activity - research, analysis and outreach - in relation to European affairs. It promotes knowledge, ideas and debate in Sweden, in Europe and beyond, through frequent collaboration with external researchers and practitioners.
The programme's current focus involves three overlapping areas of focus.
Areas of focus
European democracy
The Europe Programme conducts research on various topics, such as elections and political competition; the performance of political institutions, especially those in the younger democracies of South-East Europe, which are often under particular strain; and the EU's policy-making process, in which the balance between effectiveness and consent can be difficult to strike.
European foreign and security policy
The Europe Programme pursues research on the role of the EU on the world stage, in relation to its own decision-making, to its European neighbours (including would-be member states), to North America and to countries further afield, not least China.
Europe in the geoeconomic era
In this focus area, researchers in the Europe Programme highlight how Europe is affected by the logic of geoeconomics. It explores the conditions under which the EU has to act geoeconomically and how specific instruments and tools are used and developed.
Publications
The Europe Programme produces research-driven publications. These include books, policy-oriented papers and reports, and articles in academic journals. Opinion pieces and commentaries are published in the Swedish and international media. These publications are available to policy-makers and the general public, in Sweden and internationally.
Within the Europe Programme, developments in Europe are also monitored by the UI editorial department and presented (in Swedish) in the country database Landguiden and UI's digital magazine, Utrikesmagasinet.
Partnerships and co-operation
Building on UI's history as a venue for research and practice, the Europe Programme undertakes partnerships with individual researchers, institutes, organisations and companies. The Europe Programme welcomes support from organisations that recognise the importance of independent policy-focused research that informs decision-making through deeper understanding of political and economic developments in Europe.
Previous material can be found in the Europe Programme's archive.