Studies (free of charge)

The discussion over global current account imbalances has intensified. Notions such as currency wars have come to dominate the debate. Many economists and politicians consider the rapid revaluation of the yuan to be a panacea for global imbalances. However, such a...

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...

Black Sea region countries have diverse political systems, ranging from developed democracies to authoritarian regimes. Communist pasts and a lack of democratic experience have stalled or reversed democratisation processes in many cases. Flawed legal systems and a public...

The financial crisis halted a period of robust growth in the Black Sea Region, which now faces si­gnificant challenges in returning to financial and fiscal health. Though regional economies are di­verse, all would be well­served by strengthening financial and banking...

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...