'Differentiated cooperation' refers to a mode of governance that allows EU member states to work together in a non-uniform manner, through voluntary policy coordination in specific policy domains. This special issue co-edited by Monika Sus and Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré explores the pros and cons of differentiated cooperation for European Union foreign policy.

The publication, consisting of six articles, stresses the relevance of guaranteeing European Union’s ability to act together in a coordinated way to effectively defend its interests and alerts on the dangers of fragmentation in this field:

"(...) without institutional mechanism channeling the unfolding of differentiated cooperation, this mode of governance may lead to a decrease of the consistency and accountability of EU foreign policy due to the lack of coordination between member states and fragmentation it brings."

Moreover, it tackles differentiation processes occurring not only in the EU, but also in global governance more broadly.