Navigating Regime Complexity in Global Health: The Role of the European Union

Even before COVID-19, global health governance was already fragmented. A diverse range of entities populates the field, complementing and occasionally challenging the WHO’s central role. As the EU strives to assert its influence in global health, two questions arise: to what extent has it fostered this regime complexity, and to what extent has it benefitted from it? On the one hand, the EU tends to support traditional multilateral organisations like the WHO, with which it shares many values and priorities. On the other hand, novel governance mechanisms may prove more effective and more amenable to the EU’s direct input. We explore how the EU has navigated these dilemmas by reviewing key strategic documents and conducting interviews with EU policymakers and other stakeholders. Our findings suggest that the EU has generally taken an omnidirectional approach to global health governance, but its limited concern for potential trade-offs is not necessarily sustainable.