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EU Perceptions

External Perceptions of the EU: The EU in the Eyes of Asia-Pacific. Media, Elite and Public Opinion Analysis

Radical changes on the European continent puts the question "What makes Europeans European?" at the centre of a heated internal debate. However, when self-identification is obscure, demarcation of the Other is necessary. Arguably, reflective compositioning of Self can happen for Europe from the outside, in the mirror of non-Europe.

One of Europe's Others, the Asia-Pacific, has grown in its importance to Europe and the European Union (EU) in the last two decades.

Simultaneously, the EU is recognized as an irrevocably interconnected and intertwined partner to the region. The study of the dominant EU images and their power here will provide guidance and promote interaction between the two regions.

Mastering internal and external images is an essential strategy for any organization. The EU, an international body of 27 European states, is facing a "communication deficit" of its images, both domestically and internationally. A new level of current awareness of the EU is constantly required.

Addressing the problems of a striking absence of data on perceptions towards the EU in third countries, the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE) is the first to offer rigorous and systematic analysis of the EU’s external perceptions in the Asia-Pacific region. The research project Public, Elite and Media Perceptions of the EU in the Asia Pacific Region aims to redress this omission by identifying, measuring and raising public awareness and extending knowledge of the European Union within many countries in the Asia-Pacific region.