Publications

War doesn't just destroy infrastructures; it dismantles the social and economic foundations that hold societies together. The US-Israeli war with Iran has exposed how Europe's response remains dangerously blind to the human dimension of conflict. 

Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the geopolitical landscape of climate action has fundamentally shifted. This policy paper examines how the EU and China interact across the Global South in support of net-zero development.

This publication tackles one of the most weaponized anti-gender narratives – transgender people in sports. It provides a framework that connects transgender participation to wider struggles for gender equality and human rights.

It is near consensual among Europeans that they need to strengthen the ‘European pillar in NATO’. This study traces the evolution of the concept of the European pillar, delineates potential meaning, and spells out what it would take to operationalize it.

The European Commission’s proposal for the 2028–2034 MFF opens a chance to raise ambition on climate, social, economic and security goals. This framing paper outlines key budget needs, priority areas and governance reforms.

The next MFF proposes centralised National and Regional Partnership Plans, shifting power to national governments and the European Commission. While promising coherence, this risks weaker regional involvement and oversight. 

The 2028–2034 MFF proposal acknowledges social pressures but risks diluting the EU’s social dimension. Social spending is consolidated without a dedicated European Social Fund line, while guarantees are weakened. 

The European Commission’s new MFF proposal introduces five new own resources to fund Next Generation EU debt and modernise EU revenues. This paper assesses the package and argues for a balanced basket of genuine new resources to support EU goals.

The MFF proposal sidelines climate and the environment. This paper assesses the spending target, the Do No Significant Harm principle, and climate and environmental provisions in the proposal’s two largest programmes.

The Water Atlas presents the complexity and urgency of global water issues in a visually compelling, accessible format - from the unequal distribution of water and industrial pollution to climate-linked water insecurity and geopolitical tensions.

The global expansion of electromobility is intensifying competition for critical raw materials. A new analysis connects European supply chains to specific mining sites for the first time, identifying key environmental and social risks.

As Europe rethinks its security strategy in light of global shifts, a new initiative aims to ramp up defense efforts. This paper warns the plan lacks real coordination incentives and calls for deeper reforms that tie funding to shared priorities like democratic resilience and climate security.

The Playbook is a practical toolkit for trans, gender diverse people, and allies providing real-life strategies, but also a call for action and solidarity.

The incoming German government will have to navigate challenges that are existential to Germany, Europe. This publication applies a feminist perspective to the far-reaching impact of the second Trump administration on global peace and security.

This paper explores how the EU and its member states could adjust their climate policies based on expected Trump administration positions regarding two key elements of global climate action, and possible European responses along the variables of unity and decisiveness.

Cybercrime threatens not only digital security but also deepens social inequalities, affecting marginalized groups like women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and human rights defenders. This policy briefing explores the risks of weaponized cyber laws and proposes a human rights-based approach.

The European Union has many candidates for membership. It is currently conducting negotiations with Albania, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the accession processes are complicated. The current policy paper on the reform debate analyses the arguments for and against a rapid enlargement of the EU and provides recommendations for policy-makers.

The EU needs a resolute and coherent common European foreign policy to strengthen its political weight worldwide.The recommendations for action in this paper are to be understood primarily as a call to Member States to make better use of the existing scope for action within the EU treaties.

In order to advance the European energy transition and distribute the costs and benefits more fairly, the EU must find better steering instruments. This policy paper provides recommendations for the necessary acceleration of the European energy transition.

This policy paper makes some suggestions as to how reforms could be possible with and without treaty changes and how the EU can preserve its future viability.

War in Europe, the escalating climate crisis, Europe's position in the global power structure: The EU faces historic challenges. With this issue of the Boell.Thema magazine, we aim to inform about the history and future of the EU.