EU-DIGEST

Europe is no stranger to the concept of shifting boundaries and neither is its pride and joy, the European Union. What started in 1951 as a vow among six continental countries to be allies rather than enemies, has evolved into a 27-nation force to be reckoned with, an elite club with a waiting list from which it can pick and choose at will.

Over the past two decades, countries have fallen over themselves implementing the kinds of economic, political and social reforms necessary to secure themselves a coveted place at the EU table. And although there is still space around that table, it is getting tighter.

There are currently only two countries engaged in accession talks - Croatia and Turkey - and while experts predict Croatia is likely to be invited into the Union in the next couple of years, the issue of Turkish membership is intrinsically more complex.

Labels: Croatia, EU, EU enlargement, European Unity, Turkey

Both Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton are strong but colorless individuals, trained in economics which is what the European Union is all about — the incarnation of the quip “It’s the economy, stupid.” Van Rompuy is an economist, the son of a well-known professor of economics. He is conservative but not dogmatic and will probably have some influence on long-range EU economic policy though short-term European economic policy is decided within the European Commission, where 21 of the 27 commissioners come from conservative national parties. There is not much likelihood of a clash. Baroness Ashton also has a university economics degree and was chosen to give a “socialist” balance to the most visible posts. However, her year as Commissioner for Trade gave no signs of radical economic policies.

The tasks of the European triumvirate are crucial. They do not require high profile personalities, but they do require more dynamic leadership than has been seen in the past. There is now a slightly renewed membership in the European Parliament and some new faces among the 27 commissioners. Will this be enough to move the EU policy forward? In presenting his guidelines for the next EU Commission, José Manuel Barroso said, “For Europe, this is a moment of truth. Europe has to answer a decisive question. Do we want to lead, shaping globalisation on the basis of our values and or interests – or will we leave the initiative to others and accept an outcome shaped by them? The alternatives are clear. A stark choice has to be made. Either Europeans accept to face this challenge together or else we slide towards irrelevance.”

Labels: EU, European Unity, Herman Van Rompuy

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy - propelling the EU into a new dimension

For the complete report from Al Jazeera click on this link

The leaders of France and Germany have held a joint ceremony commemorating the end of World War One for the first time since the end of the conflict 91 years ago. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, laid a wreath with Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris on Wednesday. "French-German friendship is sealed with blood," Sarkozy said at the Armistice Day ceremony, which marks the end of fighting in France on November 11, 1918.

"This small flame is also ... the flame of hope," he said as the two leaders re-lit the flame above the tomb.

Labels: Armestice, EU, European Unity, France, Germany

Unity, Peace and Power

For the complete report from the The Globe and Mail click on this link

As the leaders of Europe and the United States gathered to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Europe in the freezing rain at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate last night, they were quietly meeting to push for future revolutionary changes. Pressed close together in the cold night as they watched speeches and a symbolic toppling of dominoes, Europe's leaders tried to hammer out the future leadership of the continent, a decision that will further extend the unification of Europe that began with the Berlin Wall's opening on Nov. 9, 1989. For the European leaders, the 20th anniversary of the wall's fall came at a propitious moment, only six days after Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus, himself a key figure in the democratic revolutions of 1989, finally agreed to become the last of 27 European Union heads of state to sign the Lisbon Treaty, a new constitution for the continent-wide bloc. Europe will now become more like a national federation, with a president and a foreign minister, both appointed by the leaders of all 27 countries.

Note EU-Digest: watching the celebrations in Berlin last night one could not escape from the feeling that finally it is starting to dawn on us the citizens of the EU that we are one, at least in spirit and purpose.

Labels: Berlin Wall, EU, European Unity, Peace

Europe Defies The Skeptics: Why Europe Is Stronger Than Ever - By Andrew Moravcsik

Just six months ago, the media were rife with predictions about the collapse of the European Union and its currency in the wake of the economic crisis. Credit agencies issued downgrades or downgrade warnings for countries like Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and Greece. Even more serious debt crises were expected in Central and Eastern Europe.

Today, it's clear that the crisis has renewed European solidarity and seriousness of purpose. Europe is stronger than ever. What explains the quiet turnaround? The leading nations of Europe did not lose their nerve, and they did not work only to protect themselves, as many pundits predicted. Instead, they rushed to save their neighbors. In monetary policy, small nations realized that they lack the capacity to act as a credible lender of last resort for domestic banking systems that conduct many of their transactions in foreign currencies. Large nations, Germany in particular, realized that their banks, investors, and exporters would take a catastrophic hit if smaller neighbors went belly up. So the European Central Bank responded by pouring money into euro-zone banking systems. The Stability and Growth Pact, which restricts public spending, was relaxed to permit governments to recapitalize their banks. And in an unheralded and entirely informal expansion of EU responsibility, perhaps the largest since the 1999 launch of the euro, the central bank accepted responsibility for stabilizing EU countries outside the euro zone—those that still use their own currencies. It extended guarantees and swaps to assist efforts to stabilize financial systems that otherwise might have been forced to impose a punishing interest-rate hike or devaluation. The most striking example was the bailout of Latvia, managed jointly by the IMF and the EU. The turnaround in trade is no less spectacular. In March, European leaders made a collective commitment to avoid further protectionist measures, and they stuck to it. The core of Europe's single market—a ban on tariffs, quotas, and subsidies, protected by the Schengen Agreement prohibiting border controls and competition policy—seems to be holding firm.

Note EU-Digest: Unity is the only way forward for our EU. As the saying goes: "United we stand, divided we fall".

Labels: Constitutional Reform, EU, EU Economy, euro, European Unity, Political

Europe acting together can face up to the economic crisis

Strong European leadership to tackle the current crisis of confidence and investing in environmental protection projects will help soften the effects of economic slowdown, according to MEPs and national MPs. MEPs and national parliamentarians from the 27 Member States and the candidate countries continued on Tuesday their two-day Joint Parliamentary Meeting, organised by the European Parliament and the Czech EU Presidency, to discuss “A New Deal for European Economic Recovery?” . Speaking at the conclusion of the two-day debate, EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering said EU must "act together and find common answers" to the crisis. Protectionism, he said, could annihilate the advantages of the Single Market and create "the foundations for a disaster". President Pöttering also expressed his support for the euro, without which, he said, the European economy would be in much greater trouble. "Everything we can do to maintain the stability of the European currency" has to be done, he said.

Note EU-Digest: the time of playing protectionist and nationalistic games is over. Its time to pass the Lisbon treaty and work together as one strong team. United we stand divided we will certainly fail.

Labels: EU, EU Economy, European Parliament, European Unity

POWER TO THE PEOPLE - The European Citizens’ Consultations 2009 (ECC 2009)

In the run-up to the 2009 Euro-elections, the European Citizens’ Consultations 2009 (ECC 2009) will give citizens a voice in the debate over how to respond to the current economic and financial crisis by providing a platform for a pan-European dialogue on the future of Europe.

The ECC 2009 will give all European citizens an opportunity to join in the discussion on how the EU can shape our economic and social future in a globalized world, by taking part in an on-line debate on national websites launched on the 3rd of December in every EU member state – the first stage in a process which will culminate in a European Citizens’ Summit in May 2009.

The national websites will give everyone the chance to discuss and share their views on this crucial issue, and help develop recommendations for national and European policy-makers. Their ideas will be fed into national consultations which will be held in all 27 EU member states in March next year, involving some 1500 citizens from all walks of life. The outcome of all these deliberations will be handed over to policy-makers at the European Citizens’ Summit in May.

ECC 2009 is co-funded by the European Commission under its “Debate Europe” programme. Speaking at the launch, Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström said: “This project sets a new standard for citizen participation by working on the national and European levels, and by combining online and offline dialogue.” The European Citizens' Consultations are run by a consortium of more than 40 European partner organisations, led by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF), and is co-funded by foundations including the KBF, Compagnia di San Paolo and the Robert Bosch Foundation, and funders at national level.

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD - FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS DISCUSSION CLICK ON THIS LINK - ONCE YOU ARE ON THAT WEBSITE SELECT THE EU COUNTRY YOU ARE FROM AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

It is also possible to join the dedicated Facebook group “European Citizens’ Consultation 2009”.

Labels: EU, European Integration, European Unity, Peoples Power

Russian gas, Mideast crisis bare EU divisions - no EU cohesion

Who listens to the EU these days? Not Russia and Ukraine, who ignore Europe's pleas to resume gas deliveries to Western Europe. Nor Israel, whose relentless assault on the Gaza strip continues amid EU demands for moderation.

The reason for the shrug off may lie in the challenges Europe faces in speaking with one voice. Conflicting national interests have long been an obstacle to the bloc cobbling together a coordinated response, a problem at once exacerbated and exemplified by Europe's failure to adopt a charter that would give it a president and foreign minister with real executive powers.

Labels: EU, European Unity, Russia

Where would we be now without the euro? - by Hans Martens and Fabian Zuleeg

As John Thornhill noted in the Financial Times earlier this month: "The creation of the 15-country euro zone has introduced greater stability into the heart of the European economy, ending the frenzy of competitive devaluations that marked previous financial panics." It is easy to forget that not very long ago, a financial crisis in Europe went hand-in-hand with currency turmoil. In volatile financial markets, speculation often focuses on exchange rates, especially in cases where countries aim to maintain a level of parity with other currencies.

As former European Central Bank Executive Board member Otmar Issing recently put it in The Japan Times: "It is not difficult to imagine what would have happened during the recent financial-market crisis if the euro-area countries still had all their national currencies: immense speculation against some currencies, heavy interventions by central banks and finally a collapse of the parity system."

In times of rising scepticism towards the EU, highlighting the benefits of established 'core' common policies is all the more necessary. More needs to be done to improve Europe-wide supervision and coordination. But maybe the time has come for countries that are not in the euro zone (or indeed those which have not yet joined the EU), to reconsider whether it is better to be outside when coordination and integration inside can offer a degree of additional stability in an uncertain and volatile world.

Labels: EU, euro, European Unity, monetary stability

'New Europe' shows resolve' - "or are they just plain wrong like they were on Iraq?" - by Peter Goodspeed

The Five Day War has revealed deep new divisions between Old and New Europe.

There is an obvious rift within the EU's 27 member states and between former Soviet satellite states who want to take tough action against Moscow and the Western European powers who cautiously warn against antagonizing a resurgent Russia.Ironically, the divisions almost mirror the splits that surfaced in Europe over the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when Donald Rumsfeld, then the defense secretary, dismissed invasion critics, saying, "You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe." His comments raised a furor, with Europeans accusing him of being both wrong and undiplomatic. Today, European tensions between the ageing West and the impatient, still insecure newcomers from the East are increasingly evident.

More immediately, New Europe's fears of being the next potential target of Russian aggression spurred Poland to conclude an agreement with Washington yesterday, establishing a controversial anti-missile defense shield on Polish soil. After 18 months of inconclusive bargaining, they signed a deal in which Washington will set up its new anti-missile shield in exchange for a promise to base 10 Patriot anti-missile batteries permanently in Poland. Washington also agreed to a mutual defense pact that commits each country to come to the others aid in a crisis.

Note EU-Digest "Some of the former European east block countries which are now members of the EU and who have enormously benefited from the economic aid provided to them by the EU seem to be unwilling to be part of a common European policy. They rather prefer to be part of the US sphere of influence. This should not be acceptable and they must be made to understand by the majority of the EU members that this behaviour is not conducive to the unity of the European Union.".

Labels: EU, EU Russia, European Unity, Georgia, New Europe, Poland, Russia; US

A Europe of and for the people

There was a time in the 1980s and 1990s when companies could not merge with one another fast enough - it was the time of the "jumbo mergers". Those were also the years when the European Union, then known as the European Community, drafted its long-term plans for an ever increasing European marketplace, complete with a common currency and no national borders. Funny how things have changed. Ten or twenty years ago, companies and countries were quite eager to come together to create ever bigger entities, but now, quite the opposite is true. One only needs to look at Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence, or the efforts of Catalans, Basques, Québecers and several others, to understand that more and more countries cherish their sovereignty and independence. Even in the corporate world, high-profile mergers have ended in divorce (e.g., Daimler and Chrysler).

Note EU-Digest: Mr. Patels seems to belong to the anti-EU group who still believe that countries like Britain can survive on their own. Dream on....

Labels: EU, European Unity

For the complete report from The Daily Star click on this link

Europe is weak and it may be disappointed, whoever wins the US election - by by Joschka Fischer

"The world sees the EU as a model that has successfully linked economic success with social equality. But today's Europe is a contradiction. It is a land of peace, democracy, and the rule of law. It is also a land of prosperity with a competitive economy, strong currency, low inflation, and standards of living that are among the highest in the world. Europeans benefit from very high levels of social protection and inexpensive, high-quality education, strict environmental standards, and excellent infrastructure. In addition, Europe has unmatched cultural diversity and great natural beauty.

But politically, Europe is a dwarf — and shrinking. Ours is a century of large states and the further rise of China, India, the US, and Japan will soon make the largest European powers look puny. Even today, the three largest EU members barely manage to offset Europe's loss of political weight, much less stem the tide. Without a strong EU, this development will only intensify.

It is because the EU lacks unity on key issues. How can it expect to solve the problems of the world if it cannot solve its own problem of disunity? The 27 member EU is powerful and more affluent than Russia but it does not address the current disputes with Russia in one voice. Some EU governments want a stern attitude to be taken towards Russia over energy and human rights issues. Others want to look the other way in the interest of commercial gains. This despite Russia's recent threat to use nuclear might to protect its security. Russia is nervous over the EU's expansion to its borders.

The EU cannot agree over Kosovo, a very serious trouble spot along with Turkey. Slovakia, Romania, Spain and Greece harbor reservations about Kosovo's independence,while some member countries will not hear of EU membership for Turkey. Others warn against the danger of rebuffing Turkey - it could push the country, which sits on huge reserves of natural gas, into the waiting arms of Iran and Russia.

Note EU-Digest: Joschka Fischer has certainly hit the "nail on the head". Unfortunately Europe at this point in time is a "clay tiger". All that needs to happen is for some rain to fall on our precious experiment in the form of a Russian energy blackmail, disunity on Kosovo, a conflict with Iran, or failure on developing a common policy on the placement of US missiles in Europe, and the "EU clay tiger" could dissolve again into the mud cesspool of bickering nations we used to be. At times we have been critical of US policies and politics, but when it comes to rallying around common causes or showing some patriotism on issues of importance to guarantee a better future for our children, the US beats us Europeans hands down.

Labels: EU, European Unity, Joschka Fischer

EU-Brussels attacks new US security demands

The European Commission has poured cold water on a set of security requirements recently tabled by Washington, describing the move as "unacceptable" and going "too far". "The text is unacceptable. It's just way beyond anything that can be done," Jonathan Faull, the head of the commission's home affairs department, said on Wednesday (13 February), referring to a US-proposed memorandum of understanding distributed to EU capitals.Brussels has made it clear that it dislikes being a passive observer of the ongoing process, with Washington discussing the new measures bilaterally with each EU government. "We don't negotiate matters which are dealt with in Washington with the state of California - that would be disrespectful and we expect the US to be similarly respectful of our law and system here," Mr Faull told journalists. "The USA knows perfectly well that there some things you come to Brussels to talk about," he stressed, pointing to the passenger name records (PNR) deal between the United States and the European Union as a whole.

Note EU-Digest: this is another example for the need of EU member states to have one voice when dealing with the rest of the world.

Labels: EU, European Unity, security, US

The Netherlands: Violence fear over Islam film - by Jason Burke

The Dutch government is bracing itself for violent protests following the scheduled broadcast this week of a provocative anti-Muslim film by a radical right-wing politician who has threatened to broadcast images of the Koran being torn up and otherwise desecrated. Cabinet ministers and officials, fearing a repetition of the crisis sparked by the publication of cartoons of Muhammad in a Danish newspaper two years ago, have held a series of crisis meetings and ordered counter-terrorist services to draw up security plans. Dutch nationals overseas have been asked to register with their embassies and local mayors in the Netherlands have been put on standby.

From her self-imposed exile in Washington, Hirsi Ali last week criticized the new film as 'provocation' and called on the major Dutch political parties to restart a debate on immigration that has split Dutch society in recent years, rather than leave the field to extremists.Job Cohen, the left-wing mayor of Amsterdam, echoed Hirsi Ali's words and called for a debate 'so that the moderates can make themselves heard'.

Note EU-Digest: Hirsi Ali is to be complimented for her stand on this issue. Freedom of expression includes the right to offend, but certainly not the right to provoke violence. If Wilders suggests that tearing up the Koran (or the Bible for that matter) would be a good idea, it could probably pass as freedom of expression. On the other hand if he says that the Koran (Bible) must be torn up, or used as toilet paper, he is overstepping the boundaries of freedom of expression and decency and indirectly inciting violence as a result of that statement. Many people feel that Mr. Geert Wilders, the maker of the film, should be taken into court if his film results in violence or death. The same as would apply to anyone who would kill Mr. Wilders as a result of his film. The tactics applied by Mr. Geert Wilders, a populist-conservative politician, are very similar to those that were applied by the Nazis against the Jews. These kind of tactics do not belong in todays Europe.

Labels: EU, European Unity, Geert Wilders, Religion, The Netherlands

Why the “Anglosphere” Is No Alternative for the EU - by John Laughand

Pro-Europeans in France (the majority of the political class) argue that European integration is necessary to make Europe independent of the Americans, while anti-Europeans in Britain argue that it is precisely the danger of European integration that it will undermine the Atlantic alliance. This was one of Margaret Thatcher’s principal beefs with Europe and it remains a cornerstone of British Tory Euroscepticism to this day. For such people, the alliance with America is the sine qua non of British foreign policy. They believe that this is threatened by Europe. The most pronounced expression of this idea is support for the so-called “Anglosphere”, for which John O’Sullivan (a British expatriate in the United States) argued again recently in the Daily Telegraph. Far better than the current entanglement with France, Germany and other continental countries, they say, would be an alliance with like-minded English-speaking nations, the US in first place but also Australia, Canada, India and the Commonwealth. These countries are united, the argument runs, by an attachment to “individualism, the rule of law, honouring contracts and the elevation of freedom” and the implication is that these values are not shared by the corporatist, socialist, corrupt and even authoritarian political cultures prevalent on the European continent, and of which the EU is itself an expression.At a deeper level, however, the “Anglosphere” proposal illustrates the fatal intellectual flaws of British Tory Euroscepticism. In spite of all the rhetoric about national sovereignty, what most British Tory Eurosceptics are basically expressing is their dislike of Catholic countries. If Carl Schmitt was right to say that all political concepts are really secularised theological concepts, then the “Anglosphere” is nothing but old fashioned anti-Popery, with all the humbug and dishonesty which that cultural movement contains.

The argument that Britain and other English-speaking countries embody the values of liberalism is also highly tendentious. Samuel Huntingdon attacked “Caesaro-Papism” in his Clash of Civilisations, saying that division between the temporal and spiritual power was the key to Anglo-Saxon liberalism, but of course there is only one country in the world where the king is head of both the temporal and spiritual power – England – while the Pilgrim Fathers who founded America itself were fundamentalist theocrats.

Labels: EU, European Unity, Poltical

Britain scorns France's plans for EU defence - by Ian Traynor

Britain put itself on a collision course with France last night when the foreign secretary, David Miliband, attacked President Nicolas Sarkozy's ambitions for greater European military integration. Addressing the College of Europe in his first big speech on EU policy, Miliband said it was "frankly embarrassing" that a union of 27 states with around two million men and women under arms could deploy only 100,000 at any one time and "at a stretch".

Note EU-Digest: The speech of Mr. Miliband, representing the British point of view on Europe's future is depressingly shallow in long term vision and its support for a strong and united Europe. Referring to the United States as the only legitimate superpower in the world also makes it clear that Britain does not have a European sole and is only a member of the EU for economic reasons. The question arises: Can Britain be trusted as a European partner?

Labels: Britain, EU, European Unity, France, Military

"Europe Must First Come Together" - by Dennis Macshane

Does the welcome decline of European anti-Americanism mean Europe and the United States are converging? Not yet—and not for the foreseeable future. While government leaders in the European Union pay lip service to the United States and its ideals, they remain far apart on a slew of social and economic issues. But beyond that, a true alliance between the United States and the EU cannot take place until Europe finds a singular voice with which it can begin to build bridges across the Atlantic."

Poland has been showered with EU funds provided by taxpayers farther west, in the biggest cash transfer in Polish history. Yet instead of focusing on Poland's EU destiny, the ruling Kaczynski twins have accused their main political rivals of being in the pay of Germany. Warsaw's rhetoric mocks the idea that European convergence will one day replace the old nationalisms.

The French and Dutch rejections of the EU constitution in 2005 were symptoms of a Europe that does not know where it is going or what it wants to be. In Britain there is at best ambivalence, and often downright hostility, to Europe. The decline of anti-Americanism will not lead to a narrowing of the Atlantic until there is European leadership that is self-confident about the EU's future and can face down this kind of nationalist sectarianism, which sees Europe as a problem rather than as a solution.

Labels: Atlantic Alliance, European Unity, Nationalism

Fast track to Eastern Europe's future

The railways of Eastern Europe are going through a period of great upheaval including sudden privatization and modernization, following years of neglect. Nick Thorpe took a rail trip through the region to see for himself.This year the rail freight market was liberalized throughout the European Union and in 2010 passenger traffic will follow. Each country is trying to avoid the mistakes made by others. EU money is providing an important boost and so is the increasing congestion on the roads. The number of lorries on Polish roads alone has tripled in the past three years. "Europe has shifted its centre of gravity eastwards," says Janusz Piechocinski, director of the Transport Consultants Group in Warsaw, "and we can all gain from the pool of experience here". To open the vast markets of the former Soviet Union and Asia, he offers a model: British finance, German logistics and Polish experience in crossing the eastern borders.

Note EU-Digest: Great report. These are the benefits of membership in the EU which no one hardly ever speaks about. Those countries that still believe they can go at it alone without the force and security of a united Europe within the EU, are living in a different age. Membership in the EU means giving up very little for what we get in return.

Labels: EU, European Unity

Europe's youth take complex view of US - by Robert Marquand

Negative attitudes in Europe about America hardened steadily during the Iraq war, particularly among Europeans under age 30. Yet the harshest anti-US feelings may be peaking among Europe's young – giving way to more complex and ambiguous views of the US and its identity, interviews show. There is sheer exhaustion about war news, a certain passion among students not to hold absolute views on anything, and a cynicism about politics in Europe. "Every day, 48 people die in Baghdad, it seems," says Charlotte Boulanger, who is trying to start an e-newsletter in Paris on human rights. "You get angry, but what can you do? I think everyone is now waiting. It is easy to blame America for everything, and a lot of us do. But sometimes it is a cover for our own failures."

Younger Europeans say America defines much of the way the world thinks. Many say they are swimming in an ocean of American media. "[We] feel that countries like the US, which impose their culture on others, are more difficult to respect," says Bruno, a French graduate student listening to "extreme metallica" in the Luxembourg Gardens. "A lot of people are sick of Americanization … we want new technology from America, but it comes with American commercial attitudes." But, he adds, "Young Americans seem to have a desire for renewal ... and this diversity is something I like."

Boulanger, whose mother is Finnish and father is French, thinks a stronger Europe is an alternative to a US global model. "We think about America as the No. 1 power.... We feel it around us every day. We all know what is happening in California, we hear about the Middle East, we know what [Secretary of State] Condi Rice is doing every day. But we have no idea what [EU foreign policy chief] Javier Solana is doing."

Note EU-Digest: "The report by the CSMonitor should be obligatory reading material for every European politician. The comment by Boulanger "hits the nail on the head". If the EU wants to succeed, its leaders must show far more enthusiasm for the European dream. Young EU Citizens who see one of their politicians munch on hamburgers and hot-dogs with a lame-duck, Iraq war tainted President Bush in Maine, certainly will have their doubts about Europe's place in the world as an independent political and economic entity, or the quality and vision of its political leadership."

Labels: EU, European Unity

Honour it, Treasure it, Protect it and Defend it -
United we stand, divided we fall - Pass it on...
- EU-Digest

Labels: EU, European Unity

The European Counterweight--Part 2: Will a Strongman Fill the Void? - by Bruce Ritter

Europe finds itself at a major crossroads: continue on its present course and remain in America’s shadow, while flexing its diplomatic and economic muscles like a passive-aggressive giant—or take the lead role on the world stage and become a dominant superpower.Many believe that, because it is mired in bureaucracy and is severely limited by its system of governance by committee, Europe is incapable of choosing the latter path.Consider the numerous obstacles and challenges that the EU must face: dealing with Russia and its competing interests; the growing economic threat of a China-India trade alliance; the continual Europe-wide need for oil; the rising tide of secularism, as the Vatican repeatedly calls for Europe to return to its spiritual roots; a growing and restless European Muslim population that could one day become the majority; terrorism from Islamic extremists; deciding whether to grant Turkey, an Islamic country, EU membership—the list goes on.

Europe’s future will be determined by how it deals with these and other issues.

Labels: EU, European Unity

Will Portugal Be a Headache for Europe? - by Amin George Forji

Portugal formally launched its six-month rotating presidency of the European Union last week by detailing proposals that are considered to be both difficult and complex. Reaching an agreement on the European Union's reform treaty is at the top of Portugal's list of priorities. Ironically, other member states such as the U.K. and Poland have already expressed their worries, calling for said treaty to either be watered down or forgotten altogether.

Other issues on the Portuguese agenda includes energy innovation, migration and development as well as the strengthening of relations with areas of the world such as Africa and Brazil, with the first EU-African submit in seven years scheduled in December this year -- but not without controversy.

Labels: EU, European Unity, Portugal

Europe’s Non-European Europeans - by Grigory Yavlinsky and Victor Kogan-Yasny

Nation-states are built on ethnic and territorial unity, and their histories and political development are grounded in a sense of collective identity. Empires emerge when a national group considers its existence inside its territorial borders either risky or ineffective, and embarks on a forced expansion that is usually connected with large-scale violence.

There is still hope that Europe’s political future will not be one of risky ``multi-polarity,’’ but instead one of cooperation based on the shared values of freedom and justice

Labels: EU, European Unity

What has Europe ever done for us ?

"The campaign Speak up Europe has begun and aims to ignite a lively debate about the European Union (EU) and its future. We want to know what you think the EU should do and not do, where it should engage itself and how it should do it... Have your say, join the debate!"

Labels: European Unity

Eastern European EU members the achilles heel of Merkel's grand EU alliance plans with Russia - by Ian Traynor

As the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, flew to Samara on the Volga last Friday night for dinner with President Vladimir Putin and to open today's summit, it was clear that the meeting was being hijacked by a long list of disputes focused on eastern Europe and the Balkans.

The roots of the estrangement lie in the transformation of the EU with the entry of 10 central European and Balkan states since 2004 - all of them former Soviet satellites nursing grievances to varying degrees against Russia.

The new EU member states of Poland and Lithuania have been arguing this week for the summit to be called off, and criticising the German preparations. For historical reasons, the east Europeans are highly sensitive to any sign of Germany cutting deals with Russia over their heads. Note EU-Digest: "What had been feared by European political insiders before the EU was "forced" by the US to take in the Eastern European nation states into the EU before they had reached at least some form of political stability, is becoming a reality - the new Eastern European EU member states are turning out to be the Achilles heel of Europe."

Labels: Eastern Europe, EU, European Unity

Sarkozy pledges to end EU's paralysis as he meets Merkel

New French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged to help end the European Union's "paralysis" and signaled an energetic approach to foreign policy, hours after taking office Wednesday. "I did not want just to make a symbolic gesture; I wanted to express my wish that we get to work straight away," Sarkozy told reporters after embracing German Chancellor Angela Merkel warmly on his arrival at her office in Berlin. "It is urgent to act," he said. "The first matter of urgency is to get the European Union out of its current paralysis."

Merkel said Germany and France would work closely together on the issue, and voiced confidence that next month's EU summit "will move us forward a step." Merkel made her first foreign trip to Paris the day after she took office in November 2005. "For France, Franco-German friendship is sacred," Sarkozy said. Turning to Merkel, he said: "I have great confidence in you, and great friendship for you."

Labels: European Unity, France, Germany

German MEP slams Britain's stance on EU consitution

Britain's opposition to plans for a revamped European Union treaty threatens to split the bloc, the head of the European parliament's constitutional affairs committee charged Wednesday. Jo Leinen, a German socialist MEP, said Britain's stance was complicating the negotiation process and "endangering consensus and a resolution in June".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of June, plans to present the 27 EU nations with plans to replace the original EU constitution before the German mandate expires.

Labels: EU CONSTITUTION, European Unity

The Birth of The New “Europeans” — by David Dabscheck

Americans have long been dismissive of a concerted European identity, probably best captured by Kissinger’s biting comment, “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” Of course the recent “No” votes on a European constitution only reinforced the view that the EU is little more than a collection of (weakly) united economies. The prospect that the bickering states of the Old World would ever be able to forge a “United States of Europe,” despite George Washington himself believing that it would one day be so, was seen as unfeasible if not downright fanciful.

The incessant focus on political and economic factors overlooks the slower moving—but much more powerful—forces of culture and identity.

Identity is more than legislation, but institutional changes since 1992 are quickly, although quietly, facilitating the emergence of Generation E, young people who are comfortable working across the EU, identify themselves as European, and believe that there are European values—often in contrast to perceived American ones. As an inherently social construct, identity can just as easily be fashioned from opposing something as from rallying around something (just ask a Canadian).

Labels: EU, European Unity, Identity

EU's Mandelson calls for "unity" on ties with Russia

The European Union's trade chief Peter Mandelson on Friday warned of a new low in the bloc's relations with energy- rich Russia and called for unity in the EU's dealings with Moscow.

Speaking at a conference in Bologna, Italy, Mandelson said the current state of EU-Russia ties contained a 'level of misunderstanding or even mistrust we have not seen since the end of the Cold War.'

Labels: EU, European Unity

Council of Europe leader says U.S. anti-missile shield could damage European unity

"The proposals to base part of the U.S. anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic risk creating new tensions," Dutch Senator Rene van der Linden said in a speech to the human rights watchdog's Parliamentary Assembly, which he chairs. "We need reconciliation, not confrontation — that is the historical lesson of the Cold War and the 50 years' success of the EU."

Labels: Council of Europe, European Unity, Missile Crises

European Union will benefit from dynamic Turkey

The European Union’s future, without Turkey or heaps of immigrants from somewhere else, seems to foreshadow disaster for the old continent at mid-term. The European Union is slowly and gradually fading away from the world scene, more or less in every aspect. It needs to grow for many different reasons as it is moving backwards vis-à-vis the rest of the world. However, the most significant is the motor of European integration, the economy.

The European Union’s future, without Turkey or heaps of immigrants from somewhere else, seems to foreshadow disaster for the old continent at mid-term.

Labels: EU, European Unity, Turkey

Interview: Poland is seeking EU Treaty changes(its all about self interest)

"Poland’s newly appointed Permanent Representative to the EU, Ambassador Jan Tombiński, explains his country’s position on EU institutional reforms, the Russian ban on Polish meat, the Baltic pipeline and the EU's future prospects, 50 years after the Treaty of Rome was signed."

Question:President Kaczyński recently announced that he would put forward proposals for a Polish contribution to the EU Constitution. What will be the main elements of this proposal?"A major point of concern is the question of double majority in the voting system, even if the system is rarely applied in practice; however, this is the very core of the institutional change.Poland was granted a strong position by the Treaty of Nice, which is not reflected by the new voting system.

Labels: EU 50, European Unity, Poland, Power Politics

Let's hear it for Europe

Germans celebrated, with free sausages and beer, at the biggest birthday party for the European Union last week, marking 50 years of a confederation that is surpassed only by the United Nations in pulling together enemies that spent the first half of the 20th century slaughtering millions of people.

Europeans and Americans who grew up during European wars, hot and cold, are passing from the scene, and their younger successors know a world in which Europe is at peace.

Will the younger leaders, and those who follow, allow Europe to slip back into narrow nationalism, or is the union celebrated last week so ingrained in the European psyche that it cannot be dislodged?

Labels: EU 50, European Unity, Peace

German Presidency of the EU : the express way to fiascoland ! An open letter to Angela Merkel..- by Franck Biancheri

Whatever aspects one takes, Angela Merkel's EU presidency is looking more and more like a gigantic fiasco (as were the previous French and British presidencies).

Gigantic because it tried to position itsels as a presidency which would achieve « big things », such as an EU/US transatlantic free trade area, the relaunch of the EU constitution, the launch of EU/Russia strategic partnership.

Labels: EU 50, European Unity

Why We Should Rejoice After Fifty Years Of The EU - without unity in Europe even the Germans would be eating with chopsticks-Chris Davies

So the EU is 50. It's not a bad age and its future looks secure. Recent concerns about global warming and future energy supplies have reminded governments of their dependence on one another and reinforced the desire to move forward together."Think of the improvements to water and air quality, cleaner beaches, protected habitats, more recycling, better waste management, banning of dangerous chemicals, and now the raft of measures designed to slow climate change." Pollution pays no respect to national boundaries and this is action most people welcome.

Do you have a mobile phone? In 1987 the EU introduced a common standard for digital mobile telephones.It created a huge market for manufacturers and gave a massive stimulus to innovation - a good example of Europe at its best.

Can you imagine any European country trying to negotiate alone with the emerging superpower that is China? Even the Germans would end up eating with chopsticks!

Labels: Environment, EU 50, European Unity, Future, Politics, World Trade

Europe declares on 50 - by Bruno Waterfield

The Daily Telegraph has obtained a draft copy of the “Berlin Declaration” to be agreed by Tony Blair and Europe’s other leaders on Saturday and unveiled on Sunday.Mrs Merkel will use a working lunch in Berlin on Sunday to hold Europe’s leaders to a timetable to resurrect elements of the old constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005, such as a European foreign minister, EU president and new powers to tackle global problems such as climate change.

Speaking to this newspaper earlier this week, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned Britain against trying to ditch the old constitution. “That treaty was signed by all the member states of the EU, they put their signatures there, so I believe they have the obligation to work constructively find a solution as close as possible to the original,” he said.

Labels: EU 50, EU CONSTITUTION, European Unity, Merkel

Symbolizing Europe: The EU's Flag, Anthem, Holiday and Motto

The blue flag with a ring of twelve gold stars was first adopted in 1955 by the Council of Europe. The number of stars was never intended to change with fluctuation in membership: Twelve symbolizes perfection in various traditions throughout history. There are, for example, 12 symbols of the Zodiac, 12 hours on a clock and 12 months in a year -- and just as many Tribes of Israel, Olympian gods and tables of Roman law. The stars were arranged in a circle to represent the ideal of unity among the people of Europe.

The number of stars was never intended to change with fluctuation in membership: Twelve symbolizes perfection in various traditions throughout history. There are, for example, 12 symbols of the Zodiac, 12 hours on a clock and 12 months in a year -- and just as many Tribes of Israel, Olympian gods and tables of Roman law.

The "Ode to Joy" prelude to the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's famous Ninth Symphony is the European anthem. It is intended to compliment, not replace the national anthems of the individual member states.

"United in Diversity," the motto of the European Union, first came into use in 2000. It was mentioned officially for the first time in the proposed constitutional treaty in 2004. Though the European constitution is undergoing revision and has not yet been ratified, the motto can be found on official EU Web sites.

On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented his proposal on the creation of a unified, peaceful Europe. Known as the "Schuman Declaration," the document led to the creation of what is now the European Union. In 1985, the EU adopted May 9 as Europe Day.

Labels: EU, EU 50, European Unity

Europe at 50 - Join The Debate - what story should Europe tell

Welcome. Join us in a debate about where Europe has come from and where it should be heading to. As the European Union approaches its ‘50th birthday’ — the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome — it seems to many of us that Europe has lost the plot. Europeans badly need a new story that we can tell in our different languages and idioms.

Timothy Garton Ash professor of European studies at Oxford University drafted a first proposal for a new way in which we could tell our story around six goals to which most Europeans aspire: Freedom, Peace, Law, Prosperity, Diversity and Solidarity.

You can read the English version in Prospect magazine by clicking on this link

Versions published in other European languages will be posted as soon as they appear.

This is only one writer’s first draft. The story is no good unless enough Europeans think it is pointing in the right direction. Please join in the debate. Feel free to use any European language you like. The discussion is completely free, but it will be followed by a group of our European students here at Oxford. We will remove anything that is downright obscene or constitutes incitement to hatred, and may tidy up the formatting, but otherwise we will leave posts exactly as they come.

Labels: Democracy, European Integration, European Unity, justice, prosperity