Maria Raquel Freire is Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Economics and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal.

Paula Duarte Lopes is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Economics and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal.

Daniela Nascimento is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Economics and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal.

Licínia Simão is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Economics and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal.

Illustrates the dynamics currently hampering or favouring the EU's actorness at the global level

Questions whether the changing international context affects the EU's ability to be a relevant international actor

Aims to determine the areas in which the EU has successfully adapted its regional instruments and approaches

Chapter 1: EU Global Actorness in a World of Contested Leadership: Policies, Instruments and Perceptions.- Chapter 2: Unpacking the EU's international actorness: debates, theories and concepts.- Part I: Actorness across EU Policy Areas.- Chapter 3: Chapter 3 The added value of European diplomacy for EU regional and international actorness.- Chapter 4: Global player status? EU actorness and democracy promotion.- Chapter 5: Securing peace through humanitarian action: The EU response to complex emergencies.- Chapter 6: Taking its rightful place? Legitimising discourse and EU actorness in the nexus of trade and regulation.- Chapter 7: The EU actorness in the security field: The case of Georgia.- Part II: EU Regional Actorness.- Chapter 8: The EU in the wider Caspian: actorness and social limits of recognition.- Chapter 9: The EU and North Africa, or the actorness of the possible.- Chapter 10: An asset or liability: Turkey's potential in availing EU global actorness.- Chapter 11: Global Giant, Regional Dwarf? Perceptions of EU Actorness in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.- Chapter 12: Russia vis-à-vis the European Union: perceptions and perspectives for cooperation.- Part III: External Views on EU Actorness.- Chapter 13: Brazilian perspectives on EU global actorness in the case of digital technologies regulation and internet governance: an opportunity to improve mutual relations?.- Chapter 14: The European Union as a Global Actor: An Indian Perspective.- Chapter 15: China's considerations and perceptions about the EU.- Chapter 16: 'S/he who pays the piper': Examining the (de)legitimising influence of European Union's financial support to the African Union.- Chapter 17: The European Union actorness: A View from Washington D.C..- Chapter 18: Conclusion.