Latest Global Europes

Global Europe, Publication, Report
14/05/2012
Culture, perceptions and media in EU-China relations
Chinese society is changing very quickly. Recent changes in state policy have led to an increase in governmental support for arts and culture, aiming to enhance China’s ‘soft power’ in the international community. Many analysts in the Western media, however, do not really understand China; it is important to establish closer social links between the two.
News article, Global Europe
27/04/2012
Myanmar reforms accelerate progress in EU-ASEAN cooperation

Foreign ministers from the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Brunei Darussalam on 26-27 April to enhance commercial ties, strengthen political cooperation and share experiences in crafting regional integrations.

Global Europe, In the News
27/04/2012
Euronews
Euronews talked to Shada Islam, Head of Policy at Friends of Europe, to get more insights on Myanmar’s political and economic relations with Europe, following the EU foreign ministers' decision to suspend Myanmar sanctions.
News article, Global Europe
24/04/2012
Dutch government resigns, escalating euro crisis
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has offered his cabinet’s resignation following the collapse of weekend talks over the country’s 2013 austerity budget. Rutte’s resignation was tendered shortly after crisis cabinet talks on Monday 23 April.
International Development, Global Europe, Publication, Policy Briefing
24/04/2012
Investing in Afghanistan's future
Stability in Afghanistan after the NATO drawdown in 2014 demands urgent action on an array of fronts. With security in the country still precarious and volatile, the international focus on building Afghanistan’s security forces is important. However, a strong army and police force cannot of themselves ensure growth and development.
News article, Global Europe
23/04/2012
EU opens “new chapter” in Myanmar ties
EU foreign ministers on April 23 suspended sanctions on Myanmar, keeping only a weapons embargo in place. The EU said it was ready to “open a new chapter” in relations with the country following recent reform efforts.
Global Europe, Publication, Report
20/04/2012
Greening China's cities of tomorrow
China is undergoing a vast process of urbanisation at a scale that is creating large economic, social and environmental challenges for Chinese policymakers and their partners in the EU and beyond. As China moves towards its projected ‘urban billion’ by 2030, pressure is increasing to address the problems of resource consumption, environmental degradation and sustainable urbanisation.
Op-ed, Global Europe
17/04/2012
EU-China: The challenge of “soft diplomacy”

By Shada Islam The European Union’s expanding relationship with China now includes a much-needed “soft power” pillar: on April 18, both sides formally launch a “high level people-to-people dialogue” aimed at ensuring the EU-China conversation in more than just trade, business and global politics, questions already covered by existing EU-China high-level contacts.
News article, Global Europe
16/04/2012
Cuba casts a shadow over Americas Summit
The Sixth Summit of the Americas in Colombia ended April 15 without a joint declaration due to divisions over US sanctions against Cuba and Argentina’s claims to the disputed Falkland Islands.
Global Europe, Publication, Report
13/04/2012
Pakistan: Charting a course for revival
As part of Friends of Europe’s Asia Programme, this first-ever conference held in Brussels on Pakistan looked beyond the headlines to discuss a way to reinforce civilian institutions, tackle governance and development issues and find the best way forward for relations between Pakistan and the international community.
News article, Global Europe
11/04/2012
ASEAN calls for end of Myanmar sanctions
Southeast Asian leaders have called for an end to Western nations' sanctions on Myanmar, saying recent positive developments, including the recent election of Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to the Myanmar parliament, demand a change of Western policy towards the country.
News article, Global Europe
04/04/2012
US seeks continent wide accord ahead of upcoming Summit
In the face of increasing global competition, the upcoming Sixth Summit of the Americas, which occurs every three years, will look at ways of enhancing regional integration and addressing the challenges of poverty, inequality, citizen security, natural disasters and access to technology.
News article, Global Europe
03/04/2012
EU to look beyond sanctions after Myanmar's by-elections
EU foreign ministers will discuss a possible easing of sanctions on Myanmar at a meeting on April 23 following the historical by-elections held on April 1. Myanmar election officials confirmed that the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) secured 40 of the 45 parliamentary seats. Aung San Suu Kyi will take a seat in the lower house of parliament.
News article, Global Europe
02/04/2012
BRICS push for greater role in global financial system
Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) have signed an agreement to strengthen the bloc’s economic cooperation and reinforce its global political clout. The five leading emerging economic powers took the first steps towards facilitating intra-BRICS trade and investment in local currencies under the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism.
International Development, Global Europe, Trustees Speak Out
30/03/2012
Verhofstadt calls for Marshall plan for new Arab democracies
A major liberal conference took place in Barcelona on "Arab spring one year on". The Conference which gathered together European and Arab leaders, such as Mahmud Jibril from Libya, Ahmad Hariri from Lebanon, Yassin Brahim from Tunisia and Fawaz Tello from Syria, focused on the state of play in several Arab states and the role the EU should play.
International Development, Global Europe, Trustees Speak Out
30/03/2012
Carl Bildt: The Afghan endgame mirage
On a recent visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan, I could not fail to notice the increasingly frequent international calls for an “endgame” in Afghanistan. But an endgame for that country is a dangerous illusion: the game will not end, and neither will history. The only thing that could come to an end is the world’s attention and engagement in Afghanistan, which could well lead to catastrophic consequences.
International Development, Global Europe, In the News
28/03/2012
New Tang Dynasty Television, NATO Newsroom
Shada Islam, Head of Policy at Friends of Europe, is interviewed by New Tang Dynasty Television and gives her views on women's rights in Afghanistan at the conference "NATO and EU long-term commitment to Afghanistan" at the European Parliament.
Op-ed, Global Europe, Competitive Europe
26/03/2012
Enhancing EU-ASEAN ties
By Shada Islam Finally, there’s hope for some much-needed progress in Europe’s 35-year old relationship with Southeast Asia. In the coming weeks, top officials from the EU and the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be meeting for the second ASEAN-EU Business Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Global Europe, Publication, Report
21/03/2012
Europe and China: Rivals or strategic partners?
"The 21st Century is the Asia-Pacific Century” Zoltán Martinusz, Principle Adviser on External Relations to Herman Van Rompuy, said at the Understanding China Policy Summit. Asian perspectives are moving up the global agenda, he told the meeting of European and Chinese policymakers, business leaders and academics.
News article, Global Europe
21/03/2012
Myanmar to allow international observers to monitor April’s by-elections
Myanmar’s government has invited observers from the United States, the European Union and the United Nations to join more than two dozen election observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to monitor next month’s elections. ASEAN will send five observers, 18 parliamentarians and some media representatives to oversee the vote on 1 April.
Op-ed, Global Europe
21/03/2012
Rising Asia and old Europe need to work together
By Giles Merritt and Shada Islam The impression that Europe is too busy dealing with internal challenges to play a strong global role is especially strong in Asia. While China gets a great deal of EU attention, there is more to Asia than China - and trade and investment agreements must not be made a substitute for a more pro-active EU foreign policy.
Global Europe, Trustees Speak Out
20/03/2012
Carl Bildt and Erkki Tuomioja: The only option on Iran
We are deeply concerned about all the loose talk regarding a possible military attack on Iran because of the growing uncertainty over parts of its nuclear program.
News article, Global Europe
15/03/2012
Bo Xilai removed as head of Chongqing CP as Wen presses for political reform
In a major shakeup in the Communist Party’s top ranks, Bo Xilai, has been dismissed as party chief in the city of Chongqing, according to the Xinhua news agency. The report came one day after Prime Minister Wen Jiabao publicly rebuked Bo for a scandal in Chongqing, and also called for more political openness in China.
Op-ed, Global Europe, Competitive Europe
09/03/2012
Progress expected in EU-Japan free trade talks
By Shada Islam The EU has given encouraging signals of progress in negotiating a free trade agreement with Tokyo. In talks in Tokyo recently, Denmark’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Pia Olsen Dyhr, Japan’s Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba and Yukio Edano, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry, agreed to try and speed up the so-called “scoping” exercise aimed at exploring the pros and cons of an EU-Japan FTA. Negotiations on the free trade pact should start during the Danish EU Presidency which ends on June 31 2012.
News article, Global Europe
09/03/2012
Asia to surpass Europe’s military spending
This year Asia’s military spending will surpass that of Europe’s for the first time in modern history, according to a recent report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
 
The IISS’s annual assessment of global military capacity says that European defence budgets remain under pressure since the financial crisis in 2008.
International Development, Global Europe, Trustees Speak Out
08/03/2012
Pascal Lamy: Local governments, global governance
The Director General of the World Trade Organization says a ‘Declaration of Global Rights and Responsibilities’ is required before global governance can succeed. Calling for a platform of common values, which would be shared “not only by the ‘West’, but with the ‘rest’”, Lamy emphasised the need for basic agreement between nation states on a strong set of core principles to underpin all discussions on global public goods.
Op-ed, Global Europe
05/03/2012
EU-China Partnership on Sustainable Urbanisation
By Shada Islam The potential for EU-China cooperation in creating “eco-cities” is immense, but so are the challenges. To ensure the success of the enterprise, however, China will need to work with Europe and other partners. The speed and scale of China’s urban development is unprecedented in human history. China, once a land of rural communities, is now a largely urban country.
Global Europe, Future of Europe, Publication, Report
02/03/2012
Streamlining Serbia as an investment destination - if the EU says "yes"
Though the economic crisis caused a decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Serbia, the EU’s decision to grant the country candidate status will greatly improve its desirability to foreign investors, agreed panellists at this timely debate just a few days before EU foreign ministers granted Serbia official candidate status.
News article, International Development, Global Europe
02/03/2012
North Korea agrees to stop nuclear program in exchange for US aid
North Korea has agreed to halt its nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and enrichment of uranium in exchange for United States aid, according to officials in Pyongyang and Washington. The announcement followed bilateral discussions between the United States and North Korea last week in Beijing.
Greening Europe, Global Europe, Competitive Europe, Social Europe, Future of Europe, Publication, Report
new01/03/2012
40 under 40: European Young Leaders’ work plan on Europe’s future
Key messages from the first European Young Leaders (EYL) seminar in Paris: think European but work trans-nationally, re-engage with European citizens yet look beyond Europe’s borders. ‘40 under 40’ promotes a European identity by engaging 40 of the EU's brightest young minds from a wide range of backgrounds.
News article, Global Europe
01/03/2012
ASEAN moves a step closer to a single market

The ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA), aimed at creating a freer investment environment and enhancing economic integration, entered into force on 1 March. The ACIA is one of the cornerstones in establishing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
International Development, Global Europe, Publication, Policy Briefing
29/02/2012
Encouraging Myanmar’s Transition: A Role for Europe
By Shada Islam and Patricia Díaz Europe can play a vital role in encouraging sustainable democracy, reform and economic progress in Myanmar. European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has pledged a 150 million euro two-year aid package, while European businesses are looking to invest in Myanmar.
News article, International Development, Global Europe
24/02/2012
World leaders discuss the future of Somalia
Leaders from over 40 countries and international organisations have met at a London conference on February 23, promising increased efforts to tackle Somalia's many problems.
News article, International Development, Global Europe
20/02/2012
ADB says South Asia not meeting key MDG targets
South Asian nations are making the least progress in the Asia-Pacific region on meeting the Millennium Development Goals they pledged to achieve by 2015, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
News article, International Development, Global Europe
14/02/2012
Piebalgs announces €150 million aid package for Burma/Myanmar
EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs has expressed support for easing sanctions against Burma/Myanmar, noting the importance of sending a message of political support to the reform efforts being undertaken by the country.
News article, Global Europe
13/02/2012
Autumn deadline for EU-India FTA
Negotiations on an EU-India free trade agreement (FTA) could be concluded by the autumn, according to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. EU and Indian leaders have made “substantial progress” on the negotiation at the 12th EU-India Summit held in New Delhi February 10.

Global Europe, Future of Europe, Publication, Report
13/02/2012
G20 - Spurring on a global green recovery?
The overarching goal for this year's G20 Summit is to set the course for “strong, sustainable and balanced economic growth.” Roberto Marino, Special Representative for Mexico’s G20 Presidency, argues for the promotion of sustainable development and of the green economy, stressing that modern-day challenges require global coordinated solutions. In this climate, the private sector is increasingly called upon to play a more important role, and emerging economies have to be encouraged to embrace concepts of green growth too.
Op-ed, Global Europe
10/02/2012
EU-China ties: Beyond the headlines
By Shada Islam Expect no headline-grabbing breakthroughs at the China-EU summit in Beijing on February 14. China is unlikely to drop its strong opposition to the EU's Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), there will be no spectacular China-funded rescue package to ease the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and Beijing will remain outside the international consensus on sanctions against Syria and Iran.
Op-ed, Global Europe
08/02/2012
Taking EU-India relations beyond trade
By Shada Islam Negotiations on a first-ever EU-India free trade agreement are injecting much-needed excitement into Europe’s relationship with India. Despite earlier hopes, the trade deal will not be signed at the 12th EU-India summit in Delhi on February 10th.
Global Europe, Guest Contribution
07/02/2012
The role of Pakistan’s diaspora in strengthening civil society in Pakistan
By Saud Anwar Despite the many challenges that Pakistan faces, the country’s vibrant civil society gives hope for the future. Civil society organizations emerged in response to the void created by Pakistan’s historical lack of governance.
News article, Greening Europe, Global Europe, Climate and Environment
07/02/2012
China opposes EU carbon emissions scheme
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has prohibited the country's airlines from taking part in the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), adding to the list of items likely to be discussed at the EU-China summit on February 14.
News article, Global Europe
06/02/2012
Spotlight on EU-Latin America relations
Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is in Latin America this week to reinforce the EU’s relations with its two strategic partners in the region, Brazil and Mexico.
Global Europe, Future of Europe, Publication, Report
06/02/2012
Balkans scorecard: Assessing the region's key pointers
"If we compare the current state of affairs in the Western Balkans with the conflicted reality of twenty years past, the region's progress has been frankly miraculous," stated Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, at Friends of Europe's annual Balkans European Policy Summit. However, the region is not without its problems.
News article, Global Europe
03/02/2012
EU and China strengthen a third pillar of the strategic partnership
On 1 February the EU and China launched the EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue, which aims to go beyond already well-established political and economic partnership and strengthen cultural cooperation, the so-called 'third pillar' of the EU-China strategic partnership. 
News article, Global Europe
02/02/2012
Asia and Europe: are we prepared for future pandemics?
On 2 February the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Public Health Network organised a Public Briefing to discuss scenarious in developing multi-sectoral pandemic preparedness plans for Asia and Europe.
Global Europe, Publication, Report
26/01/2012
Latin America's new dynamic

The relationship between Europe and Latin America is changing and must evolve further heard the participants of a one day Policy Summit on EU-Latin America relations entitled ‘Latin America’s new dynamic’.
Global Europe, Guest Contribution
25/01/2012
Pakistan's economy: Greater expectations
By Saquib Shirazi, CEO of Atlas Honda Limited. The political landscape in Pakistan remains uncertain, the economic prospects appear challenging while civil society seems frustrated and the political leadership is pre-occupied with non-issues. Much of the needed reforms and improvement in governance remain a distant dream.
Global Europe, Publication, Policy Briefing
20/01/2012
Pakistan: Charting a course for revival

By Shada Islam The EU is not alone in finding it difficult to understand Pakistan. The country presents many different facets, making it difficult for friends or foes to develop adequate policy responses. Persistence and patience are necessary. 
News article, Global Europe, Competitive Europe
19/01/2012
EU-India FTA postponed
Despite initial hopes, the long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) is unlikely to be signed at the EU-India Summit scheduled to take place in New Delhi on 10 February. Instead, the Summit is expected to deliver yet another roadmap for the conclusion of the negotiations, which started in 2007. Read more
Global Europe, Guest Contribution
19/12/2011
ASEAN’s rise is helping the rest of Asia
by Arif Havas Oegroseno The rise of Asia, especially East Asia, is rarely seen as one of the results of the peace and stability created, nurtured and strengthened by ASEAN member states in Southeast Asia, a critical geo-strategic region with regional and global importance.
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