Research project
| Updated 03/03/2010
Forthcoming in March 2010
Think Global - Act European
The contribution of European think tanks to the Spanish, Belgium and Hungarian Trio Presidency of European Union
Directed by
elvire Fabry and Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul.
The work of European think tanks is increasingly seen as an essential contribution to the definition of the EU agenda. Its strength lies in the capacity of these organisations to develop synergies and intellectual stimulation among themselves. Notre Europe has therefore brought together 14 think tanks with the aim of presenting concrete recommendations concerning the different issues on the agenda of each trio of presidencies.
This new edition of "Think Global – Act European", dedicated to the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Trio Presidency (and to appear in March 2010), pays special attention to the changing role of the rotating presidency and the trio themselves. This follows the arrival of the permanent President of the European Council and the Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Experts from 14 think tanks review the trio's agenda (structural reform, economic governance, climate change, migration, justice and home affairs, global governance, common foreign and security policy, CFSP/ESDP, enlargement, neighbourhood, European institutions, European political space and budget) by analysing the changing global context and the current challenges, and then addressing concrete proposals to the Trio.
The report will be presented at Egmont II (Brussels) on 4 March 2010.
Programme
From 8.30 am: Registration
9.00 – 9.15 am: Welcome Speeches
- Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa President of Notre Europe
- Gil Carlos Rodríguez Iglesias Director of the Real Instituto Elcano
9.15 – 11.00 am: PANEL 1
The Priorities of the Lisbon Treaty Implementation for an Increased EU Efficiency
New role of the Trio, common programme priorities, external influence
- Mr Olivier Chastel Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium
- H.E. Mr Gábor Iván Head of the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, Former Secretary of State for European Affairs
- Mr Diego López Garrido Secretary of State for the EU of the Kingdom of Spain
- Mr João Vale de Almeida Director-General for External Relations, European Commission
11.00 - 11.15 am: Coffee break
11.15 – 1.00 pm: PANEL 2
EU-2020: New Synergies between Economic, Environmental and Social Policies
Post-Lisbon Strategy, climate issues, economic governance
- Mr Enrique Barón Crespo Former Member of the Spanish Parliament and Former President of the European Parliament
- Mrs Edit Herczog Hungarian Member of the European Parliament
- Mr Hervé Jouanjean Director-General for Budget at the European Commission, Former Deputy Secretary-General of the European Commission
- Mr Mario Monti Member of the Reflection Group on the Future of Europe 2020-2030, former Commissioner entrusted by Commission President J.M. Barroso with the report on the re-launch of the single market
- Mrs Odile Renaud-Basso Deputy Head of Cabinet of the President of the European Council
1.00 pm: Conclusions
- Etienne Davignon Chairman of Egmont
- András Vértes President of GKI
The think tanks will be addressing questions to the speakers.
The TGAE II group comprises following 14 think tanks:
Editorial committee:
- Egmont (Brussels)
- Elcano (Madrid)
- GKI (Budapest)
- Notre Europe (Paris)
Partenaires·
- Bruegel (Brussels)
- CEPS (Brussels)
- CER (London)
- Demoseuropa (Warsaw)
- DIIS (Copenhagen)
- ECFR (London, Madrid, Berlin, Paris)
- Eliamep (Athens)
- Europeum (Prague)
- SIESPS (Stockholm)
- SWP (Berlin)
TGAE I
This report is available in French andEnglish.
The analytical work being done by European think tanks is increasingly considered to be essential in defining the Community agenda. The power of this thoughtful input also resides in the capacity of these think tanks to establish fruitful synergies and intellectual stimulation among them.
For some time now, three successive Presidencies of the EU Council of Ministers had been collaborating on setting up a common 18-month programme. With the establishment of a stable European Council Presidency, coordination between the Presidencies of the Council became all the more important.
Moreover, the Troika of the French, Czech and Swedish Presidencies actived at a key moment of the EU agenda. The ratification of the Reform Treaty is entering the completion stage. A budget review had been scheduled for the same period. The European election campaign and the renewal of the European Commission took place in 2009. The year 2010 will be the final year of the current Lisbon Strategy programme and 2012 for the Kyoto Protocol.
In this context, it occurred to Notre Europe and the Fondation pour l’innovation politique that a group of European think tanks could be constituted around the project called Think Global Act European (TGAE) and contribute to the preparation of the Troika, which began with the French Presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2008.
The project was supported by the French State Secretary for European Affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the Czech Deputy Prime Minister of European Affairs, Alexandr Vondra, and the Swedish Minister of European Affairs, Cecilia Malmström.
The project report was widely disseminated in France and in Europe, and was presented on 23 May 2008 in Paris at a public event bringing together high profile political personalities, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris, the Aspen France Institute, the newspaper Les Echos and the internet media Euractiv.fr.
The report was used as the basis of discussions for the European Think Tank Forum to be held by Institut Aspen France, Notre Europe and Fondapol in Paris in September 2008. As was the case with the format of previous Aspen France Institute forums held in Lyon in 2004 and 2005, The 2008 forum in Paris brought together some forty participants: not only representatives from European think tanks, but also policy makers from economic and political circles, etc., in order to include in the discussions expert analysts of European issues; decision-makers (elected officials, national and European high-ranking civil servants) responsible for defining and enforcing Community policies and decision-makers who must deal with the implementation and impact of those policies.
Among the participating think tanks, a closer relationship was established with the Czech (Europeum) and Swedish (Sieps) members of the group. Discussions took place about possible extensions during the Czech and Swedish Presidencies of the initiatives being held under the French Presidency, such as the think tank forum.
