In the context of the major changes that have been taking place in the global stage, whereby the EU’s values and standards — not to mention its own existence — are constantly being challenged from outside as well as from within, new foreign policy tools, such as the EU Global Strategy, have emerged. To discuss the EU’s current challenges and opportunities, the Centre for International Studies at ISCTE-IUL (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa) is organizing the second edition of the international conference on Europe as a Global Actor, to be held in Lisbon, between 19 and 20 June 2017. This interdisciplinary conference aims to understand the kind of role the EU can play in the current transformations that we have been witnessing of late, as well as the domestic and external obstacles it faces as an actor.