In 2009 Commissioner M. Fischer Boel launched a discussion to reconsider the architecture of direct payments, with a view to rethinking the philosophy of agricultural regulation within the EU. On the occasion of the Swedish EU Presidency, Notre Europe and the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (SIEPS) invited specialists, policy-makers, Commission officials and researchers to a seminar in Stockholm to pursue this debate on the CAP post-2013.

After nine years of debate on institutional reform, the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty brings to a close a turbulent chapter of European integration. Many are of the opinion that the European Union should now focus its attention on other issues. Yet an important lesson can be learned from this saga: the current procedure for revising treaties is doomed to fail and could ultimately paralyze the Union because it increases the number of members who hold veto rights. This is why it is imperative that it be reformed. But how? And when? This study, which is the result of an expert group’s collective endeavour, presents several concrete proposals for achieving this goal.

Available in French only. The end of the year 2009 was marked by a series of good news concerning Serbia's European perspective. In this speech pronounced at the Belgrade Conference in December 2009, Pierre Mirel (Director, DG Enlargement) goes through the latest updates from the negotiations between the EU and the former Yugoslav countries. He also outlines the principal challenges that stand in the way of these countries' advancement towards EU accession.

On 14th January, in Brussels, around 80 participants assisted to the presentation of the study “ An ever less carbonated union? Towards a better European taxation against climate change” by Eloi Laurent and Jacques Le Cacheux. The presentation of the study by the authors was followed by a debate chaired by Peter Carl in which participated Walter Deffaa, Alberto Cornejo Pérez and Patrick Ten Brink.

The third European Estates General will be held in Strasbourg on April 17th 2010. The European civilian society’s meeting. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration A Franco-German Edition “Europe’s heritage, what responsibilities?”

As the Lisbon Treaty comes into force in the near future and the renewal of the teams at the various institutions is completed, thinking on the future EU budget and policies will enter a more active phase. In line with the conclusions of the European Council in December 2005 on the budget review, Notre Europe has continued to insist that discussions should focus on the substance (the policies) before the form (the budget allocations). Following its analysis of the Barca Report last June, Notre Europe considers that the time has come to launch a wide-ranging debate on the cohesion policy, its role in the EU integration, its objectives and its tools.