In Europe's relations with developing countries, new and interconnected issues of global nature are emerging. These include new players in international development, Europe's energy security and climate change. All these discussions take place in times of wide-ranging global challenges, and at a time when questions of European identity loom large in national debates. 

The EDC2020 project has identified three emerging issues around which the research is organised.

  1. New actors in international development: Led by Sven Grimm, a Research Fellow at German Development Institute (DIE), the work package members undertake research about emerging actors in international development such as China, India and Brazil.
  2. Energy security, democracy and political development: Richard Youngs, Senior Researcher at Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE), and his work package team seeks to understand the interlinkages between energy policies, questions of democracy promotion and development policy.
  3. European development policy and climate change: Led by Leo Peskett, a Research Officer at Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the work package members look at issues connected to climate change, e.g. the promotion of biofuels or impact of climate policies.