Work Package I is concerned with competing definitions of multilateralism. Multilateralism may be understood as a system of interaction combining rules, institutionalised cooperation and inclusiveness. More specifically, MERCURY has developed the following working definition:

"Multilateralism is three or more actors engaging in voluntary and (more or less) institutionalised international cooperation governed by norms and principles, with rules that apply (more or less) equally to all." (Bouchard and Peterson 2010: 21)

Work Package I was carried out during the first project year until the end of 2009. Its output includes

• an online glossary on "multilateralism" (for more information, click here)
• three MERCURY E-papers dealing with (a) theoretical and conceptual questions, (b) a comparison of diplomatic strategies of the European Union, the United States of America and China and (c) the notion of a 'doctrine' of multilateralism (for more information, click here)
• a MERCURY Policy Brief summarising main results of the first project year (for more information, click here).

Work Package II examines the structural framework of EU external relations, including constitutional (treaty), institutional and policy change at the EU level. It is concerned with the evolving interactions between the EU and its member states. It also considers the causes and dynamics of externalisation of EU policy.

Activities of Work Package II have started in summer 2009 and will be terminated by the end of 2010. Within Work Package II, a database on EU external relations legal instruments ("DATEX") is set up: how often they are used, for what purposes, and with what implications for multilateralism (for more information, click here). This data is also taken up by a range of MERCURY working papers focussing on the institutional aspects of EU multilateralism, including policy areas such as migration, trade and foreign and security policy. After an internal review process, these papers will be publicly available on this website - as well as a second MERCURY Policy Brief summarising main results of the second project year.

Work Package III follows from the theoretical investigation of Work Package I and the empirical instutional and policy research of Work Package II. It examines EU relations with the European Neighbourhood, Africa, and Asia - critically-important regions and partners both in terms of global order and in terms of EU interests. It will introduce political economy analyses to complement international relations and legal approaches.

Work Package III was launched during the MERCURY Plenary meeting in March 2010; most activities of this work package will be carried out in 2011. Related output, including a range of working papers and a third MERCURY Policy Brief, will be publicly available on this website.

The EU has sought membership and influence in formal global organisations, becoming an important actor in some cases, despite the fact that enlargement to an EU of 27 has often made it more difficult to act coherently and strategically within these multilateral settings. Work Package IV examines the role of the EU both in formal and informal institutional settings, analysing whether and how the Union contributes to effective multilateralism through the strengthening of international law and the building of international institutions. It complements the empirical study of policies, institutions and external partners - as carried out in the previous work packages - by focussing directly on the EU's role within international organisations.

The research within Work Package IV will be carried in 2011, i.e. in the last project year. Similarly to the other work packages, related output in terms of working papers and a fourth MERCURY Policy Brief will be publicly available on this website.