Friends of Europe
    Europe's World
Our landmark headquarters

Friends of Europe is privileged to be headquartered in and enjoy the use of one of Brussels' most prestigious architectural landmarks, the 100+ year old Bibliothèque Solvay in the Parc Léopold next to the European Parliament.

The building houses the Friends of Europe team and hosts almost all of the think tank's events in Brussels.

Europe's World

The Only EU-wide Policy Journal
 

Europe's World Spring 2008 Issue

29/04/2008 The dangers to the EU of condemning Ukraine and Belarus to political limbo When it comes to a new enlargement round in eastern Europe, the EU can’t go forward and can’t go back. Krzysztof Bobinski looks at the unpalatable choices that now confront Brussels
5/03/2008 BANKING & FINANCE: How the EU is banking on decentralisation The EU wants its banks to be decentralised while remaining under close supervision. Christian Noyer, Governor of the Banque de France, says banking is on the right track even though much still needs to be done
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Our Trustees speak out
John Bruton: Meetings with members of the US Congress
29/04/2008 Read more
John Bruton: Food prices up by 40% in the last year.
16/04/2008 Read more
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski: Energy supply security has a growing impact on overall EU security.
3/03/2008 Read more

News
Spring economic forecast 2008-2009
Growth moderate, price pressures a worry but, overall, EU weathers external headwinds rather well
28/04/2008 Read more
Downward trend in EU greenhouse emissions
EU's greenhouse gas emissions for 2006 show downward trend in comparison to base year 1990
22/04/2008 Read more

Security & Defence Agenda

www.securitydefenceagenda.org

Our sister think-tank, the Security and Defence Agenda (SDA), is Brussels' leading think-tank on security and defence issues, and  aims to raise awareness of how EU and NATO policies can complement each other.
In focus
Carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Roundtable - 27 May 2008

The International Energy Agency (IEA) says fossil fuels will remain our chief energy source to 2030, covering up to 81% of global demand.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) will therefore be essential for fossil fuels to be a sustainable energy source.

If the commercial uptake of CCS is to begin around 2020, what policy steps need to be taken, and by when?

Click on the title for more.
Recent event
Café Crossfire - 6 May 2008
Sustainable development

Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines MEP

A Café Crossfire debate organised in Barcelona, featuring Bertrand Charrier, Vice-President of Green Cross International, David Clark, Managing Director of Tarkett Ltd, Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines MEP (pictured), Member of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and Antoni Soy i Casals, Secretary for Industry and Enterprise, Generalitat de Catalunya.

Click on the title for more.
Forthcoming event
Café Crossfire - 13 May 2008
Romania's economy

Flag of Romania

Romania’s economy has shown high growth rates during this decade. But how long can wages remain low when many Romanians are themselves moving to higher-wage countries? What should Romania be doing to stop its boom economy from over-heating, and what steps must be taken now to ensure its growing economic success is also environmentally responsible?

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Forthcoming event
Dinner debate - 20 May 2008
Dealing with the credit crunch

European Commissioner Joaquín Almunia

How seriously should we be worrying about the very different approaches being taken in the EU and the US? American policy has been to kick-start the financial markets by slashing interest rates, while Europe has focussed on combatting inflation and left interest rates unchanged. Are the transatlantic partners responding to different signals, or to different economic policymaking cultures?

Click on the title for more.
Forthcoming event
Café Crossfire - 26 May 2008
Competition and innovation

Café Crossfire evening debate

On both sides of the Atlantic, policymakers are confronted with similar problems of balancing longstanding fair competition rules that protect consumers with new policies designed to encourage entrepreneurs. Are Brussels and Washington taking the same approach? Does US experience offer Europe any lessons on getting the balance right between competition and innovation?

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Forthcoming event
European Policy Summit - 4 June 2008
Global green policies

Green Week 2007

The EU and its member states have established global leadership of the drive to halt and reverse climate change. What new breed of policies could reconcile environmental responsibility with the many pressures for sustainable economic growth? Is the time ripe for the EU to turn its moral leadership on the environment into a credible industrial strategy?

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Publication
DPF Roundtable Report
EU development aid

Development Policy Forum (DPF) Roundtable Report: Is EU development aid entering a new era in the wake of the Lisbon Treaty?

The Lisbon Treaty for the first time clearly states that the reduction and eradication of poverty is the primary objective of the EU’s development cooperation policy. Now is a timely moment to assess the future of the EU’s development policies.

Download the report in English
(Please be patient while the report downloads.)

Téléchargez le rapport en français
(Veuillez patienter pendant le téléchargement.)
Publication
Café Crossfire debate report
Shell Energy Scenarios

Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050

Royal Dutch Shell has been preparing its renowned energy scenarios for four decades now to help energy experts and policy leaders around the world anticipate global supply and demand trends in a changing global operating environment. Its 2008 report however marks a break with tradition, as the oil company is for the first time ever taking a clear stand in favour of one of its two scenarios.

Click on the title to download the report.
Publication
Café Crossfire debate report
Public-private partnerships

Time to re-assess and fine-tune public-private partnerships linking non-traditional allies?

Food prices are being fuelled by high oil prices, shortages caused by droughts and increased pressure on land due to rising demand from Asia’s emerging economies. The situation is rapidly turning into an emergency scenario for developing countries and this example demonstrates how public-private partnerships (PPPs) could emerge as an essential instrument in the fight against poverty.

Click on the title to download the report.
Publication
Café Crossfire debate report
Better food information

Could better food information help win the EU's war on obesity?

The EU has begun addressing the phenomenon of rising levels of obesity. Food labelling is seen as a useful weapon in informing and educating consumers, although it may not be sufficient to reverse Europe’s obesity problem. With Europe’s obesity rate fast catching up with that of the USA, there is almost universal acceptance of the need to act. But does a label-based approach risk confusing consumers?

Click on the title to download the report.
Partners' Spotlight

EniEni is one of the most important integrated energy companies in the world committed to growth in finding, producing, transporting, transforming and marketing oil and gas.
Eni ranks first among the Italian listed companies according to its market capitalization amounting to €93.8 billion at the end of 2006.
 
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