EU Policy and Outreach Partnership – Americas, Asia-Pacific, Africa

The EU Policy and Outreach Partnership is an EU-funded project, implemented by Equinoccio, a Madrid-based consultancy (equinoccio.eu), in tight coordination with the European Commission´s Foreign Policy Instrument. The project supports the EU to engage with partner country audiences and stakeholders of influence through public diplomacy  activities, tools and training, in an effort to:

Improve the understanding of the European project, principles and policies amongst the citizens of partner countries and foster an image of Europe that resonates better with local specificities.

Deepen the engagement of the EU with future leaders and influencers in key policy areas as well as promoting learning and building mutual trust with and between citizens.

The project is part of a series of interventions leading towards a more coherent global EU Public Diplomacy strategy. Global in nature, it focuses on pilot activities in Hong Kong/Macau, Singapore and New Zealand, developed in tight cooperation with the relevant EU Delegations. This project´s primary “public” or audience are think tanks and media, as well as academics and students. In close cooperation with local universities, PR companies, think tanks and other partners, the project will organise around ten events (e.g. conferences/seminars/round-tables), with well-developed audience interaction and elaborated outreach in the “pilot countries”. The identified priority topics include Climate Change, Geographic Indications within the context of Free Trade Agreements and Media Perceptions of the EU.

Interventions are not stand-alone but aim and linking previous and future engagements in order to contribute to a more effective global EU Public Diplomacy. Policy and Outreach Partnerships are also being developed in ten key “strategic countries/regions”.  In addition, the EU also engages in academic outreach through Jean Monnet activities, Civil Society engagement and Cultural Diplomacy.