This interdisciplinary project focuses on the perceptions of the European Union and how these have shifted in the Maghreb and the countries of the Western Balkans, analyzed through the official discourse of political elites, the attitude of the public opinion and the way they are conveyed by mainstream media. The key areas of debate and investigation are the image of the EU as a model of democracy and regional integration, the perceptions of EU development cooperation policy and the perceptions of EU migration policy.