Articles

Realizing the euro’s full potential is up to us

By Andreas Sowa | 9 May 2013

Will the common currency still be around in 2020? Ridicule me in ten years, but I am certain that it will be. It is not very common these days to defend the euro; and it is even less common to praise it as one of the main, positive, achievements of the European integration project. This however, is what this article sets out to do. Voices defying the status quo in reporting and public opinion are needed to prevent the onset of a negative self-fulfilling prophecy. The constant reporting on and prognosis of a collapse of the Eurozone will lead to just that: the end of the common currency. Differentiated analysis of the euro’s weaknesses is in order; hysterical blabbering about the euro’s apparently imminent end is not.

Forgotten advantages of the European Union – the European civil society

By Christina Forsbach | 9 May 2013

“Don’t ask what Europe can do for you but ask what you can do for Europe!” In his speech given in February, the German president Gauck makes good use of this reference to Kennedy’s well-known inaugural address. Beyond resistance towards sometimes petty political decision-making, we need a stronger common civil society. Promising projects are under way.

Schengen: a great Acquis arousing debates over the path of European integration

By Chloe Fabre | 9 May 2013

Nearly 20 years after the beginning of the removal of border controls, the Schegen area constitutes one of the major achievements of the European integration. It gathers 26 countries among which 4 are not within the EU. It is often cited by Europeans as something they like about the EU. However, it has been put into question after the Arab Spring (spring 2011) and is currently undergoing a reform, which creates a great debate especially between several visions of European integration.

Europe’s contributions to research – an overview

By Mathilde Bonneau | 12 April 2013

The European Union’s growth strategy for the period 2010-2020, known as Europe 2020, aims to make the EU ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive’ by improving skills and education, modernising industry, and also, by boosting research and innovation. Its financial instruments, the FP7 (2007-2013) and Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) contribute to this agenda, as does its funding to projects with an international dimension such as the CERN and Project ITER.

Natural Sciences vs. Humanities: What are the priorities for European research?

By Gatien Du Bois | 12 April 2013

Is there a difference in treatment between natural science and humanities at national and European level? If yes, why is it so? What are the obstacles humanities are facing when it comes to funding? What is the EU position from this perspective? To answer these questions and highlight the differences between natural science and humanities research in Europe we interviewed Colm Lennon, Secretary for the Humanities and Social Sciences in the Royal Irish Academy and member of a Working Group on Social Sciences and Humanities of ALLEA (ALL European Academies: European Federation of Sciences and Humanities).

The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue: A breakthrough in sight

By ARK | 1 April 2013

On 2 April 2013, the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo will announce the latest and most challenging deal reached between the two nations within the EU-mediated dialogue. Over the past two years, major agreements have been reached in an effort to normalise relations between Serbia and its former province, currently recognised as an independent state by 98 countries. While history is being written, it is important to revisit what has been agreed upon and implemented to date while also reflecting on the way forward to reach a lasting solution for the Kosovo conflict.

Kosovo’s contested EU membership perspective

By ARK | 31 March 2013

As the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina scores tangible results so is the enlargement process. Both processes are inextricably linked. While Serbia is expected to open EU accession negotiations during the Irish presidency (first half of 2013), Kosovo could only be given a pat on the shoulder and fail short of receiving a green light for the start of negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).

Does Eastern Europe still exist? A lecture by Anne Applebaum

By Tanguy Séné | 29 March 2013

Hot debates about immigration, economic crises or international issues often posit that Eastern Europe is a coherent whole, despite the diversity of countries it denotes. True, their common soviet past and its aftermath easily come to mind when we think about this particular half of Europe. Yet “Eastern Europe” as a political term (and no mere geography) is no longer relevant, argues journalist Anne Applebaum at the London School of Economics (LSE).

The EU environment policy: interview with James Connelly and Rana Izci Connelly

By Gizem Ozturk Erdem | 9 March 2013

The first European Environmental Action Plan (EAP) was launched in 1986 and since then, environmental policy has been considered as one of the most important areas of EU legislation. It is however criticised nowadays for its lack of an appropriate long-term strategy. Two experts in environmental policy gave Nouvelle Europe their opinion on EU's leadership in international environmental policy, green accounting in Europe, and as a candidate country to the EU, Turkey’s environmental policy.

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