Notre Europe: Think Global

Think Global - Act European

Notre Europe's viewpoint | 04/03/2010

The Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Trio Presidency of the EU Council comes during a period of transition. Decisions taken as well as precedents set by this Trio will determine the course of European integration in the years to come. The first transition to come to mind is the one that is necessary if we are to emerge from the economic crisis and deal with its social consequences. Despite (or because of) this context, the new EU 2020 Strategy should also be the occasion to ensure a determined transition to a low-carbon economy.

Moreover, the implementation of the long-awaited Lisbon Treaty should mark the move from a period of institutional reform to one which hopefully is focused on the elaboration of common policies and projects. Finally, there is a transition of particular relevance for these rotating presidencies: the Trio must henceforth share its responsibility of agenda-setting with the newly-appointed permanent President of the European Council.

The numerous ideas and recommendations contained in this report should help the Trio Presidency to manage these transitions in the most effective way. After the publication of the first "Think Global - Act European" Report in May 2008, this second edition brings together fourteen of the most eminent think tanks dealing with European affairs.

"United in diversity" was the spirit that guided the contributors of this volume, as in 2008. However, this time the participating think tanks decided to increase their efforts to foster collective thinking. Firstly, as coordinator of the project, Notre Europe worked closely, within an Editorial Committee, with three think tanks based in the countries of the Trio Presidency, i.e. Elcano, Egmont and GKI. Secondly, some of the papers were written by several think tanks together. Finally, the think tanks' representatives for the project agreed to select 15 recommendations they wished to bring to the specific attention of the Trio.

As President of Notre Europe, I am proud to introduce here the product of a long and enriching process of cooperation between the contributing think tanks. I congratulate and thank them for the constructive spirit with which they participated in the project. I hope that this report will be considered by the Trio and the European Council President as a proof that cooperative work can produce original, relevant and useful results.

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The Contribution of 14 European Think Tanks to the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Trio Presidency of the European Union

Study by Elvire Fabry, Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul | 04/03/2010

With the establishment of the permanent European Council presidency and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the role of rotating presidencies has changed. This will have an impact on the role of the Trio Presidency in future. Does the rotating presidency still matter? In this new edition of Think Global - Act European (TGAE), launched by Notre Europe, 14 Europeans think tanks answer that question by scrutinizing the 18-month agenda of the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Trio Presidency. For each specific issue (structural reform, economic governance, energy, climate change, migration, internal security, global governance, foreign policy defence, enlargement, neighbourhood, EU institutions, European political space and budget) they analyse the global context, existing challenges and put forward concrete proposals concerning key initiatives that can be taken by the Trio Presidency during this period. In the sensitive context of the Lisbon Treaty implementation and complex management of the economic crisis, specific attention is given to the decisive coordination role that can be played by the Trio Presidency in defining more efficient - more integrated - European strategies.