Publications

The Middle East is more than a hotbed of conflict, war and terror. It is time the EU woke up to the opportunities this region has to offer. The four Es – economy, energy, environment and education – suggest numerous areas of cooperation in which Europe can become profitably...

Slavery in Europe? Very few Europeans are Aware of the fact that human trafficking and forced labour exist in their midst.

The European Citizens’ Initiative is a feature of the Treaty of Lisbon that many people have as yet to discover. However, even though it has often been criticized as being a kind of bogus participation that is no more than a placebo, it may well change the European Union,...

On 8 July, at its last session before the summer recess, the European Parliament adopted with an overwhelming majority (549 for, 78 against, and 17 abstentions) the report of Elmar Brok on the “Proposal for a Council decision establishing the Organisation and functioning of...

Spain was expecting its EU presidency of the EU Council to be a more pleasant experience. Looking back, these six months were totally dominated by the economic crisis, which put an abrupt end to a Long boom period. The Spanish were baffled by the way that the actual problems...

The European External Action Service is now a reality, though a genuine common EU foreign policy has receded into the distance. The member states are simply afraid of surrendering their sovereignty in this area. After a seemingly endless debate about the composition of the...

The "Greek sickness" and the parlous financial situation of the southern EU member states have promted suggestions that the EU has reached the end of ist tether.

2010 is a crucial year for Iraq. The number of attacks significantly dropped, yet the threat of terrorism and civil war remains. Despite diverging interests and opinions, the U.S. and the EU have to intensify cooperation. Only coordinated civil aid will enable Iraq to become...

Yesterday it was the turn of the Lisbon Agenda. Tomorrow it will be that of EU 2020. This new economic strategy is primarily aimed at producing sustained growth. So far, so good. However, the crucial issue is to readjust the basic governance. The 2020 strategy requires...

The proposal from Russian President Dmitri Medvedev for a new European security architecture enlivened the debate about the relationship between the EU and Russia. Yet, under the term security, the Russians understand something different than the EU with her concept of soft...