Abstract
Despite its economic importance and successive Treaty reforms, the EU does not always succeed in asserting itself as a leading actor on the international stage. Both internal and external factors influence the EU's participation in international economic governance institutions. They constitute a definite handicap concerning the EU's potential role as a real normative power. At the same time, as indispensable reforms of global economic governance are in the offing, the EU seems to be giving up any claims for better representation within competent organisations and forums, such as the International Monetary Fund.