Most accounts of European Union (EU) foreign policy consist of descriptive analyses of EU behaviour over time. Much has also been written about how the EU perceives itself (its "foreign policy identity"). This study instead puts its focus on the EU as others see it: the purpose is to investigate how non-EU actors (states and non-governmental organizations) perceive the motives behind, the performance of, and the impact of EU development policy. Empirically, the project highlights negotiations between the EU and regional groupings of African Caribbean and Pacific countries aiming to create Regional Partnership Agreements. Among the theoretical advances that could be achieved by a focus on outsiders' perceptions is a deeper penetration into discrepancies between expectations on the EU and its capacity, performance and impact. The project also casts further light on the essence of asymmetrical negotiation processes and on the roles of the EU as a norm exporter and model. Interviews will be carried out with representatives of ACP countries in Brussels and with experts from NGOs. Documents from these sources will also be analysed.