EU IDEA will:
- analyse the causes and effects of differentiation and the conditions under which it facilitates policy-making, problem-solving and policy implementation by combining theoretical and empirical analyses;
- situate differentiation in its historical context and draw on previous experiences with differentiated governance within the EU and in its relationship with external partners, including in-depth explorations of the philosophical foundations of integration and differentiation;
- conduct a reappraisal of existing models of differentiation and contribute to the development of novel theories of differentiation with regard to governance and accountability;
- unpack the narratives on European constitutionalism and identity, including an analysis of the effects that these may have for relations with candidate countries, potential accession countries and associated third countries;
- assess opportunities, benefits and risks of more or less differentiation in key policy areas, in normative, institutional, political and societal terms, with a special focus on the Economic and Monetary Union and the single market, the foreign, security and defence policy, and the area of freedom, security and justice, including migration.
- devote specific attention to Brexit, by looking at its impact on differentiation within the EU and on innovation in arrangements for cooperation between the EU and third States through a dedicated Observatory on Brexit.