The United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) and the College of Europe, in cooperation with the FP 6 Network of Excellence GARNET, Notre Europe and EGMONT - Royal Institute for International Relations, organise an event in Brussels at the University Foundation in the afternoon of 10 September 2010 on " The Promotion of Regional Integration by the European Union: Interacting With Civil Society".

Programme

13:30 Registration

14:00 Welcome remarks by Luk Van Langenhove, Director of UNU Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS)

Interventions by Richard Higgott (Warwick University), Renato Girelli (European Commission, tbc) & Guy Verhofstadt (European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Belgium, tbc)

15:00 Roundtable chaired by Philippe De Lombaerde, Associate Director of UNU-CRIS: The Promotion of Regional Integration by the European Union

Interventions by:

Fredrik Söderbaum, University of Gothenburg

Emil Kirchner, University of Essex

San Bilal, European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM)

Amitav Acharya, American University, tbc

15:45 Coffee Break

16:15 Four simultaneous break-up sessions on EU Interregionalism and the Role of Civil Society

· Session 1: The EU and Asia (Room: Emile Francqui)

Chaired by Alex Warleigh-Lack, Brunel University

Interventions by:

Alain Ruche (European Commission)

Shada Islam (EPC)

Alberta Sbragia (University of Pittsburgh)

Thomas Renard (EGMONT)

Uwe Wunderlich (Aston University)

· Session 2: The EU and Latin America (Meeting Room D)

Chaired by Philippe De Lombaerde, UNU-CRIS

Interventions by:

• Carlos Hernández (EUPD) An Vranckx (University of Ghent)
• Raul Fuentes Milani (Council of the EU), tbc
• Beatriz Porres (EESC), tbc Rafael Gelabert (European Commission), tbc *

 

· Session 3: The EU and Sub-Sahara Africa (Meeting Room A)

Chaired by Fredrik Söderbaum, University of Gothenburg

Interventions by:

• Ademola Abass (UNU-CRIS)
• Hélène Gandois (Oxford University)
• Nicholas Robinson (University of Leeds)
• San Bilal (ECDPM)
• Koen Vlassenroot (EGMONT), tbc
• Remco Vahl (European Commission), tbc

 

· Session 4: The EU and the Middle East and North Africa (Room Jean Willems)

Chaired by Louise Fawcett, Oxford University

Interventions by:

• Timo Behr (Notre Europe)
• Christian Jouret (Council of the EU), tbc
• Jean-Thomas Lesueur (Institut Thomas More), tbc
• Bichara Khader (UCL), tbc
• Ines Ayala Sender (European Parliament), tbc

18:00 Introduction to final keynote speaker and concluding words by Timo Behr, Notre Europe

18:10 Final keynote speech by Amitav Acharya, American University

This event is part of a Jean Monnet-funded research project coordinated by UNU-CRIS and the College of Europe. For more information see: www.cris.unu.edu/jeanmonnet

This event is free and open for the public, but seats are limited. Please send an email to Tiziana Scaramagli to register for this event. Please provide full contact details in your email and indicate which break-up session you would like to attend (EU-Asia, EU-Latin America, EU-Sub Saharan Africa or EU-MENA).