Notre Europe's viewpoint | 30/08/2006 

2005 was a crucial year for the European Union. Also for Notre Europe: our staff was reinforced, now including development and communication skills, and production was significantly increased.

2006 will be essential to rekindle the European flame. 2006, tenth anniversary of the organisation, will also confirm Notre Europe's position in applied research on European matters. In the next twelve months, Notre Europe will continue to apply prospective and lateral thinking to hot EU topics:

How will European agriculture face up to the challenges and trends in world supply and demand after 2013?

When and how is economic performance in the EU synonymous with social justice?

What role can the EU play in addressing European citizens' anxieties fuelled by the intensification of global flows of goods, people, money, and pictures that threaten their sense of belonging to a common project?

How can further progress be made on the institutional front?

Is it necessary to have more or less politics in EU affairs?

How can deliberations between citizens of different Member States be organised, in order both to help give greater meaning to plans for the future of the EU, and to satisfy citizens' desire for new forms of interaction with public officials?

Who really belongs to the now - all too - famous European "civil society"�?

What will the forthcoming EU presidencies do? What are the factors likely to shape their tenure at the helm of the EU?

What lessons can be drawn from a comparison of EU and US emissions trading systems?

Notre Europe will seek to shape the debate and provide policy-oriented analyses and recommendations in relation to all these questions, and many more, during the course of 2006 (and beyond...).

We wish all our readers and members a very Happy New European Year 2006!