The One Europe or Several? Programme, which finished at the end of April 2003, was a five year research programme, funded by the British Economic and Social Research Council. It examined contemporary processes of political, security, economic, social and cultural change across the European continent, as well as issues of convergence and divergence and prospects for integration and fragmentation. The Programme was concerned with: (a) boundaries, affiliation and identities; (b) social adjustment, wealth creation and distribution; and (c) institutions, citizenship and governance. The Programme aimed to strengthen links with the research and practitioner communities in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. The ESRC allocated £4 million to this programme.

Key Themes and Topics

The One Europe or Several? Programme covers political, economic, social and security developments across Europe. Thus many projects deal with central and eastern Europe and the challenges of transformation, while others examine the dynamics of change in western Europe. Most projects are comparative and look at several different countries, as you can check by clicking on the country buttons. Some projects deal with the links to globalisation.

All projects pay some attention to the ways in which transnational European regimes influence these developments, or are shaped by them. These regimes include those managed within the framework and institutions of the European Union, but also look at the changing role of NATO, as well as some of the activities of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. In addition several projects address more local or informal relationships between neighbours.

Some of the projects deal with established areas of European co-operation, such as economic and monetary union. Other projects deal with newer policy initiatives, such as those in justice and home affairs, or European defence autonomy, or the Lisbon strategy to promote the ‘open method of coordination’. Contemporary policy issues such as internal security, migration – and the demographic deficit – and transnational organised crime, or the adaptation of European social models are addressed.

Projects address the changing public policy frameworks, their strengths and limitations, for example relating to institutional capabilities and democratic performance. Some deal with societal change and issues of identity. Others deal with economic change, in relation to economic and monetary union, economic policy or monetary policy, labour markets, regional development, and industrial adjustment, as well as trade flows or investment patterns. There is also coverage of the roles of private organisations: firms, financial institutions, non-governmental organisations and so forth.

Recurrent questions that cut across the projects include the enlargement of Europe’s multilateral frameworks, such as the European Union – or EU - and NATO, as well as the developing relationships with other European countries and neighbours and cross-border contacts. An important underlying issue is how the process of Europeanisation operates.

The sections which immediately follow indicate in broad terms which themes or topics are addressed by which projects (indicated by the name of the principal researcher). You may also search this website by a free word search.