Friends of Europe
This autumn at Friends of Europe

 

 

The State of Europe

On the occasion of its annual Board of Trustees meeting, Friends of Europe will on October 9 host two high-level events. These are 'The State of Europe', a VIP Policy Summit looking at the challenges and opportunities facing Europe, and the President’s Dinner for senior guests from across Europe. Senior EU and national decision-makers, business and NGOs leaders and editors-in-chief gather to discuss Europe's challenges.

Confirmed guests of both events include José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Alain Hubert, Chairman of the International Polar Foundation, Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), Ana Palacio, Senior Vice President of International Affairs and Marketing, Areva, Janez Potocnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research, Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, Dimitrij Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Slovenia and Otto Schily, Member of the Bundestag.

President's Dinner - 9 October 2008
A VIP dinner with Friends of Europe's Etienne Davignon

In the light of the European elections, the overall theme of the 2008 President’s Dinner is “Does the European Parliament need to put its own house in order?”.

Three former presidents of the European Parliament will be challenged by top European journalists and a few sceptical voices during this informal and entertaining evening.

European Policy Summit - 5 Nov 2008

Saving Europe's Water

 

Is water the missing element in the EU’s environmental and economic strategy? How good is Brussels in shifting the mindset of local stakeholders? The third annual water summit co-organised by Friends of Europe and the European Water Partnership will contribute to the European Regional Process in preparation of the 2009 World Water Forum. Speakers include Stavros Dimas, EU Commissioner for Environment, Antoine Frérot, CEO of Veolia Water and Richard Seeber MEP.
European Policy Summit - 30 Oct 2008
Defining Europe's energy strategy: The long-term view

This October 30th, Friends of Europe will hold its 5th annual energy summit: Defining Europe’s energy strategy: The long term view. The event will debate the road towards a post-Kyoto agreement, what measures are politically end economically feasible and how sustainability is defined in relation to the policy options currently under discussion. Confirmed speakers include Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Energy and Paul Magnette, Belgian Minister for Climate and Energy.
 

McKinsey & Company is a management consulting firm that helps leading corporations and organizations make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements in their performance. Over the past eight decades, the Firm’s primary objective has remained constant: to serve as an organization’s most trusted external advisor on critical issues facing senior management.

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.

Café Crossfire - 14 October 2008

Changing Europe's energy majors?

What role will Europe’s energy majors play in the EU’s search for energy securit? What should EU’s policymakers be seeking from these companies that lead the corporate wealth charts yet control only a small and shrinking share of the world’s natural energy resources? This debate will feature Christophe de Margerie, CEO of Total and Eneko Landaburu, European Commission Director General for External Relations.
DPF debate - 16 November 2008
Development: Does the media help or hinder?

A special Development Policy Forum (DPF) debate will be held in Strasbourg as a part of the European Development Days. Entitled 'Development: Does the media help or hinder?', it will focus on the role media plays in development. A panel of high-level public figures and media representatives will debate the issue.
The debate will take place on Sunday, November 16 at the Strasbourg Convention Centre.

Café Crossfire - 19 September 2008
Developing Europe's energy security

The Arctic “will not provide the magical solution we are looking for”, but guaranteeing Europe’s energy security justifies the exploration of even the most hostile environments in the search for more oil and gas stocks, said Energy Commissioner Piebalgs. Yet for StatoilHydro’s CEO Helge Lund the size of the Arctic’s hydrocarbon resources are unknown and could take over a decade to be brought to the market.

OUR VIP MEMBERS: Adecco – American European Community Association (AECA) – APCO Europe – Areva – BASE – BP Europe – BT Group – Cargill – Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton – Confederation of Food & Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA) – CropLife International – Deutsche Post World Net – Dow Chemicals Europe – Embassy of Qatar to Belgium – EUnited – European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association (EDMA) – European Information and Communications Technology Association (EICTA) – European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) – ExxonMobil Petroleum and Chemical – Gide Loyrette Nouel – Hewitt Associates – Hill & Knowlton International – IBM Belgium – Intel Corporation European Affairs Office – International Fragrance Association (IFRA) – Logos Knowledge Network – McKinsey & Company – Merifin Capital – Microsoft EMEA – Novartis – Pfizer – sanofi aventis – Schuttelaar & Partners – Shell International – Solvay – Sony Europe – Suez – Swiss Life – Telefónica – Total – The Coca-Cola Company – The McGraw-Hill Companies – Toyota Motor Europe – Tyco Safety Products – Unilever – Veve Group – Veolia Environnement – Vinyl 2010 – Volvo Group – WWF

The Only EU-wide Policy Journal
 

Europe's World Summer 2008 Issue

09/06/2008 The questions facing Europe’s development bank

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development was founded following the collapse of communism, and has turned out to be a resounding success. Jean Lemierre, who is stepping down after eighty years as its president, urges the EBRD’s shareholders to be true to its founding principles
09/06/2008 Mixed thoughts of an EU newcomer

After a promising start, the European Union’s enlargement process appears to be losing some of its momentum. András Inotai argues that if Europe is to retain its global influence then it must overcome that sense of “enlargement fatigue”, continue to reform and develop a clearer vision and mission for the 21st century
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Friends of Europe's Trustees
Carl Bildt: Carl Bildt, foreign minister of Sweden: ‘It is perfectly understandable that the strong measures the U.S. authorities are planning to deal with the crisis would arouse many questions. My experience is that the chances are very good for a positive outcome if the political system is capable of acting when action is needed.’ 
27/09/2008 Read more
Erika Mann MEP: comments on the transatlantic aircraft trade dispute in Financial Times: “It is time for this feud to end […]. If the governments […] can work at this, they may find they can create a great future for their industry […].”       
10/09/2008 Read more

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.