This topic is the one that outlines the theoretical approach to the issue of how the EU interacts with sub-regional multilateralism, ensuring that the other four areas of research have a coherent and comparable approach, bringing together the results in order to extract general conclusions and lessons.

The normative content of the project and the constant feedback between theory and practice makes our project innovative and allow some useful theoretical insights with the co-operation of practitioners adn some even more useful policy relevant conclusions.

Objectives:

1. Establish the common theoretical framework for the programme, including the research questions and common methodology.
2. Map the current situation of sub-regional co-operation in the four basins
3. Analyse the relations established between the EU and sub-regional multilateral arrangements and organisations
4. Compare the impacts of EU policies in the four studied areas
5. Extract general research conclusions about EU impact in the four basins
6. Outline some policy recommendations for EU policy towards the four basins