The role of the European Union (EU) in global affairs has been extensively studied with various scholars identifying the Union as a ‘normative power’, ‘civilian power’, ‘economic power’, ‘imperial power’, and to some extent, ‘military power’. There is a general agreement that the EU is an important actor in world politics but there is also a significant degree of contestation as to what instruments the Union should use to strengthen its global role.

The purpose of this book is to offer an alternative way of conceptualizing and understanding the role of the European Union in world affairs. In so doing, it utilizes the theoretical framework offered by the English School of International Relations. By drawing on modern history and conducting a comparative historical study, it argues that the EU seeks to create and maintain a global order of its preference by resorting to practices similar to those utilized during the development of the modern global system. In so doing, it bridges the approaches associated with ‘normative power’, ‘civilian power’ and ‘imperial power’ Europe.