Launched in 1988 following the Single European Act, the policy for economic and social cohesion is today the number-two item in the European Union budget - representing about 35% of spending. The policy benefits all European citizens, through co-financing projects to promote human capital. However, more than 80% of subsidies go to the EU less-developed regions.

With the publication, in 2005, of an influential paper written by Jacques Le Cacheux (European Budget: The Poisonous Budget Rebate), Notre Europe made a significant contribution to the ongoing debates on the reform of the EU budget, by criticizing the dominance of short-sighted national interests on EU budgetary negotiations. The announcement of a comprehensive review on the EU budget, to be held in 2008/2009, has given to Notre Europe the opportunity for furthering its advocacy and research tasks on this area.

In the perspective of a CAP reform and changes of the agricultural budget after 2013, Notre Europe undertakes a prospective study on the conditions under which European agriculture could fit into the world economy over the next twenty five years. This study scrutinises the factors set to affect agricultural activity in Europe and comes up with proposals for a new agricultural policy.

Whereas many constraints affect the energy situation in Europe today and increasingly so until at least 2030, Notre Europe is invested in a major research exercise on the future of European energy policy, with the aim to develop Jacques Delors's proposal for a genuine "European Energy Community".

After a ten years growth strategy - the Lisbon Strategy - that gave rise to unsatisfying - though sometimes encouraging - results, the EU needs to renew its development model in order to tackle, on the one hand, the financial, economic and social consequences of the worst economic crisis in post-war history and, on the other hand, the global challenges faced by the EU, such as global competition, technological development, population ageing and climate change.

The EMU, or Economic and Monetary Union set up under the Maastricht Treaty, fostered the creation of the single currency. In completing the European Single Act and creating a single market within the European Union, the euro has put paid to the monetary problems and fluctuating exchange rates that troubled the European economy. The euro, a factor for economic integration, was built on a solid monetary pillar: an independent European central bank whose purpose is to combat inflation and, albeit without jeopardizing its primary goal, to support the Union's objectives (Article 127 TEU).

With the economic and financial crisis having hit European countries in different ways since 2008, the EU is considering how far each country is responsible and what kind of solidarity is needed to overcome this challenge. Europeans have hastily set up solidarity mechanisms that their monetary union was lacking. Questions about the legitimacy and the limits of European solidarity are now very much being asked out in the open...