The EU must re-create trust between member states if the benefits of integration are not to ebb away – and persuade its citizens that credible state institutions can be rebuilt in Greece

The Euro crisis is more than the breakdown of a currency – it is also causing a breakdown of trust between the EU’s members. Heather Grabbe argues that the competing narratives about who is to blame for the crisis have led to loss of trust that goes beyond the Euro. If the Germans cannot trust Greece to keep its financial house in order, then how can they trust Athens to keep the integrity of the Schengen area intact, or to recognise court decisions and arrest warrants? Now the EU’s task is not only to rebuild the Euro, but to rebuild trust in the institutions that allow EU law to be applied reliably across Europe

Britain and Europe: A new settlement? EPC Challenge Europe 23, May 2016

Britain's European problem, Stephen Wall; Britain's contribution to the EU: an insider's view, David Hannay; 'Foreign judges' and the law of the European Union, David Edward; The United Kingdom and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, Peter Goldsmith; European foreign policy: five and a half stories, Robert Cooper; External relations and the transformative power of enlargement, Heather Grabbe; Recalibrating British European policy in foreign affairs, Fraser Cameron; The European Union and the wider Europe, Graham Avery; From Common Market to Single Market: an unremarked success, Malcolm Harbour; Lost in translation: Britain, Germany and the euro, Quentin Peel; After Cameron's EU deal, Kirsty Hughes; Re-imagining the European Union, Caroline Lucas; Britain and European federalism, Brendan Donnelly; Europe's British problem, Andrew Duff

International System Change Compass: The Global Implications of Achieving the European Green Deal

The interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution cannot wait for humans to spend years discussing solutions, policies, and institutions. National and international systems have to change faster, which means redefining the goals that governments set themselves and the ways that everyone works to reach those goals.The International System Change Compass sets out the scope of the change needed. On their own, emissions reductions through incremental efficiency gains will lead to disaster. Minor changes within the current economic system won't solve the resource crisis; they won't solve the biodiversity crisis; and they won't address fundamental injustices across the world and within societies. Only a holistic approach toward system change that addresses the impact of Europe's resource usage and overall consumption footprint can achieve the inclusive transition needed to save our planet and provide a fair future for us all

Challenges and new beginnings: Priorities for the EU’s new leadership. EPC Challenge Europe Issue 22, September 2014

Table of contents - State of the Union and key challenges for Europe's future, Janis A. Emmanouilidis and Paul Ivan; Europe’s economic challenges and the importance of ideas and innovation, Herman Van Rompuy; The growth challenge for Europe and the EMU, George Pagoulatos; Strengthening the euro area, Daniela Schwarzer; Social Europe. Can the EU again improve people's life prospects?, László Andor; Solidarity and cohesion, Pawel Swieboda; The single market and competitiveness – the challenges for the Juncker team, Malcolm Harbour; A European response to the resource and climate challenge, Jo Leinen; Renewal through international action? Options for EU foreign policy, Rosa Balfour; EU migration policy – new realities, new opportunities, Cecilia Malmström; Freedom of movement of persons – the building-block of European growth, Radoslaw Sikorski; Building up European leadership – an assessment of the recent process, Maria João Rodrigues; Populism in the EU: new threats to the open society?, Heather Grabbe; Differentiated Europe needs strong institutions, Alexander Stubb; Improving decision-making in the EU, Fabian Zuleeg; The need for a New Pact, Janis A. Emmanouilidis

The Internal-External Security Nexus and EU Police/Rule of Law Missions in the Western Balkans

Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) police/rule of law missions in the Western Balkans are increasingly guided by externally imposed normative agendas that respond primarily to EU internal security needs rather than functional imperatives or local realities. In line with these needs, EU police reform efforts tend to prioritise effectiveness and crime fighting over longer- term democratic policing and good governance reforms. In practice this means that police reform initiatives are technocratically oriented, yet value ridden fitting EU security concerns and needs. As a result, the police reform process can be—and often is—disconnected from the political and socio-economic reforms necessary for long-term stability and sustainable peace. Police assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been shaped by a determined albeit questionable focus on organised crime and corruption. The focus of EU police reform in Macedonia on primarily crime-fighting aspects of policing has compromised the functioning of the Macedonian police. Similarly, the politics of (non-)recognition of Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence and the intrusiveness of EULEX Kosovo's executive mandate contravene meeting local challenges

Why Europe needs a systemic R&I policy:Redefining competitiveness for long-term sustainability

This policy brief argues for a systemic approach to R&I policy in enabling an economic competitiveness articulated with the environmental and societal sustainability goals. It looks into the role of R&I policy in enabling the competitiveness of the EU economy while pointing out the challenges in the current competitiveness paradigm. Two case studies illustrate the advantages and challenges faced by Europe in reaching competitiveness in the face of global crises: one on green hydrogen and one on the circular economy

Embedding anticipatory governance in Europe's transitions: a policy brief by the Expert Group on the Economic and Societal Impact of Research and Innovation (ESIR)

The current century is marked by unprecedented technology developments. Whileleading on some of them, the EU is struggling to keep pace on others. Attempting torevive its global position in the 2024-2029 policy cycle, the EU will need to remaincognizant of the fact that technology is an integral part of the broader societaltransitions, and it must respect the overarching planetary boundaries. These aresome of the reasons why technology governance is needed to orchestrate developmentsin line with European values.In the context of the overwhelming pace and scale of technology development, aproactive framework is needed for addressing its ethical, social, environmental andeconomic implications. Ensuring accountability and public trust requires restoringcitizens’ and consumers’ sense of agency, which is ever more difficult in the face of thesteady progress of the big tech companies. This is the logic behind the recent EUlegislation which aims to create a new digital social contract and replaces ex postenforcement with ex ante regulation.In the meantime, research and innovation policy has evolved to be increasinglyfocused on the larger, transformative change, recognising the complexity ofinnovation and need for a systems-approach. Openness and transparent sharing ofinformation about how technologies are developed and deployed are importantfoundational principles of responsible innovation and governance. Governments andinternational institutions cannot stand still but require greater knowledge and capacity todeal with complex problems. Understanding the rate of technological change and itsunderlying logic is a prerequisite of effective governance. This is particularly true in thecurrent period of technology convergence, where developments in different disciplinesare often combined.Decisions about the choice of a governance method need to reflect thetechnology’s maturity as well as its intrinsic characteristics, including the risks itposes. Available options range from “doing nothing”, to self-regulation, awareness-raising, labelling, nudging, co-regulation, all the way to prescriptive regulatory measures.An integrated approach needs to acknowledge that policy development is a multi-stakeholder effort, not limited to governments. Due to the complexity and global scopeof modern technologies like AI, genetic engineering, and quantum computing,governance frameworks need to be both comprehensive and flexible. They shouldaddress present challenges while also anticipating future advancements.In the new EU cycle, with much centrality attached to technology development,alternative futures, rather than a single future, need to be examined to enhancepolicy resilience. A complete spectrum of policy options needs to be considered,including “by design” approaches. Adequate space ought to be preserved for uncertaintyand adaptation when choosing among policy options. Experimentation needs to be apermanent part of the toolbox, as well as regulatory sandboxes and greenhouses.Appropriate protocols, regular audits and compliance mechanisms are helpful to ensuresafety. Protecting data and infrastructure from security threats is of essence. A highdegree of transparency is needed for public trust. Finally, international cooperationbrings additional value and should be the default position, unless outweighed by risks.Investing in technology revival and ensuring that technology has a soundgovernance framework are not only mutually compatible, but also reinforcingobjectives. They should become EU priorities in the forthcoming term on an equal part

Combining regional strengths to narrow the EU innovation divide: a policy brief by the Expert Group on the Economic and Societal Impact of Research and Innovation (ESIR)

This policy brief by the ESIR group discusses the regional innovation divide in Europe and the world. It outlines the main causes for the concentration of innovation in hubs, which are necessary for a strong innovation environment. However, such concentration should not come at the expense of the regions incapable of creating such concentration, which should synergise with the innovators using innovation-oriented smart specialisation strategies. It also recommends for these strategies to be accompanied by a holistic effort to integrate other policies such as skills and redistribution

E-democracy in the EU : the opportunities for digital politics to re-engage voters and the risks of disappointment

Demos publications are licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 England & Wales Licence . Users are welcome to download, save, perform or distribute this work electronically or in any other format, including in foreign language translation without written permission subject to the conditions set out in the Creative Commons licence.The digital revolution has disrupted politics, but it could enhance democracy. The speed and ease of online business can make political processes look frustratingly slow and inaccessible to many voters. The internet has transformed our social, personal, professional and economic lives, but the processes of politics and government remain remarkably similar to those of the last century. If voters disengage as a result, democracy will lose its life-blood. This short paper explores the implications of the growing chasm between how people live and how politics works, and how far digital technology can improve the experience of democracy for citizens. We present new, illustrative research on how MEPs and voters are using one social media platform, Twitter. We then explore the broader implications of digital technology for parties and political processes. New technology is creating opportunities for new types of democratic engagement, but we also set out some of the challenges and difficulties of realising these opportunities. In conclusion, we identify a number of promising new initiatives for improving the quality of political engagement and how they might be implemented by the European Parliament. This paper is not designed to be comprehensive, but rather as a provocation to stimulate further research and thinking on the subject.-- Introduction -- 1. New challenges for democracy in the digital age -- 2. New research on the practice of digital politics: how Parliamentarians use twitter -- 3. Ways forward: new initiatives in digital democracy -- 4. Pitfalls of technology -- Conclusion -- Note