The foreign "multilateralism" strategy that the EU is now pursuing is a promotion of traditional multilateralism and adds new connotations. It emphasizes the use of "* * * diplomacy" to defend the interests of the alliance, including * * * values, the basic interests of the alliance, national independence and integrity, and highlights the following three characteristics.

(1) institutions. The EU demands that the existing international organizations and regional organizations, especially the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the WTO, should be reformed to become European-style "hard multilateralism" organizations, and all countries should be integrated into one rule through social contracts.

(2) effectiveness. Based on the legal practice experience in the process of European integration, the European Union put forward the concept of "effective multilateralism" in September 2003, and suggested that existing international organizations and regional organizations speed up the process of legalization, make use of the normative role of laws and rules, consolidate world democracy and the rule of law, and respect basic freedoms.

(3) functionality. In May, 2007, the European Union published "Effective Multilateralism in the European Union-Who to associate with?" The document puts forward the idea of "functional multilateralism", aiming at promoting international organizations and regional organizations to promote economic cooperation and play a functional role, promoting political trust and cooperation with economy, promoting the construction of regional organizations, ensuring the balanced development of the world economy, coping with environmental threats facing mankind, and establishing a new international order through multilateral consultation.