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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Could better food information help win the EU's war on obesity?
The European Union has begun addressing the relatively new phenomenon of rising levels of obesity. At Friends of Europe’s Café Crossfire evening debate, food labelling was hailed as a useful weapon in informing and educating consumers, although it was not seen as sufficient to reverse Europe’s obesity problem.
With Europe’s obesity rate fast catching up with that of the United States, there is almost universal acceptance of the need to act. But whatever the measures taken, how would the EU know it is winning the fight against obesity, and does a label-based approach risk confusing consumers?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050
Amid a context of surging energy demand, global warming and dwindling oil reserves, Friends of Europe hosted a launch of the Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050, on 7 April 2008, with a view to debating the best paths toward a sustainable energy future.
Royal Dutch Shell plc 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 an incessantly changing global operating environment.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Time to re-assess public-private partnerships linking non-traditional allies?
Food prices are soaring. They are being fuelled by high oil prices as well as shortages caused by droughts and increased pressure on land due to rising demand from Asia’s emerging economies and the rush towards biofuels.
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.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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Policy Spotlight report
The EU's role in global development
Speaking at a Policy Spotlight lunch debate organised on 31 March 2008 by Friends of Europe in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID), Under Secretary of State Gareth Thomas MP highlighted how important it is for the EU to strongly reaffirm its commitment to the development agenda in this “crucial” year marking the half-way stage of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) timetable.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
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Summary of Debate - Development Policy Forum
Is EU development aid entering a new era in the wake of the Lisbon Treaty?
Critics at Friends of Europe's first Development Policy Forum (DPF) roundtable on 26 February observed that the EU’s creation of a new foreign policy chief wearing two hats could lead to policy incoherence or, worse, could sideline or marginalise Europe’s aid. The fact that the EU’s overarching development objective of eradicating poverty is enshrined in the new treaty is a plus. To this end, the strengthening of the policy and programming capacity of the European Commission Delegations is an important step.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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European Policy Summit report
Europe's Looming Demographic Crunch: The Search for New Labour and Welfare Policies
The demographic situation throughout Europe, with low birth rates and greater life expectancy leading to higher pension and healthcare costs, calls for action. It has been estimated that some 22 million extra jobs will be needed in the EU in order to meet the Lisbon Strategy's employment targets set for 2010. Friends of Europe's high-level European Policy Summit on 31 January 2008 considered the possible solutions available for averting Europe's looming demographic crunch.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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European Policy Summit report
Balkans Crossroads: The Policy Challenges Ahead
The Western Balkans region is currently top of the EU’s political agenda and the main focus of its enlargement policy. Of the countries in the region, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is hoping to open accession negotiations soon, and Croatia is aspiring to become a full EU member by the end of the decade. The Balkans Crossroads conference organised on 4 December addressed the challenges still faced by the countries of the region on their road to full European integration.
Monday, February 18, 2008
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Adapting the CAP to the new realities
As Paris prepares to take over the EU’s rotating six-month presidency in July, one of the hottest issues on its plate will be the planned review of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – the so-called “health check”. The initiative comes ahead of major discussions on the Union’s spending priorities for after 2012, which are expected to slash EU funds for agriculture in favour of more growth-oriented policies, such as research.
In a debate co-organised by Friends of Europe and the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA) on 21 January, France’s Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier presented his views on the CAP health check proposed by the European Commission at the end of 2007, and outlined his ambitions to maintain a strong European farming sector. Other speakers were Rolf Eriksson, Swedish State Secretary for Agriculture, and Jean Martin, President of the CIAA.
Friday, February 08, 2008
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European Policy Summit report
The State of Europe at 50: Looking to the next 50 years
Friends of Europe’s VIP policy summit “The State of Europe at 50” on 4 October 2007 saw a high-level roundtable discussion of what Europe has achieved in half a century, and how the EU should tackle the domestic and global issues it now faces.
The roundtable was held on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, and coincided with the 75th birthday of Viscount Etienne Davignon, President of Friends of Europe. Our support and involvement in this event is a mark of our commitment to the European project.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Development Policy Forum
Should Climate Change Alter Development Policy Thinking?
On December 4, Friends of Europe launched its Development Policy Forum (DPF) with an evening debate entitled “Should climate change alter development policy thinking?”. Whether or not the thinking on development policy has evolved to accept the reality, no one can argue that climate change is not already affecting delivery of that policy. On the one hand, natural hazards such as droughts, freak weather events and flooding are undermining existing aid efforts. On the other, any development programme which has not been ‘climate-proofed’ may well be exacerbating these impacts.
With one-third of current aid going to areas that face climate change risks, there are signs that this aid is increasingly being diverted into disaster relief. Emergencies are eating up cash intended to help countries meet long-term goals, threatening development. International institutions, donors and NGOs are well aware that money is being wasted as long as they fail to address this.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Does the European economy need more migrant workers?
The question of whether the European economy needs more migrant workers covers a multitude of issues: immigration, employment, economic growth, labour shortages, the plans for an EU 'Blue Card', and even development policy. All of these topics were touched upon during the ‘Café Crossfire’ lunch debate. The results of the discussions can be read in this Summary of Debates.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
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European Policy Summit report
Africa Unbound: Development, Health and Investment Strategies 2010-2020
There has been widespread consensus that Africa’s structural political weaknesses and the debilitating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic were set to prevent it from enjoying the fruits of today’s rapidly globalising world economy. Yet the IMF now points to sub-Saharan Africa as a new growth area, and the creation by China of major investment and trade links is spurring fresh interest in Europe and the US. How high on the rich countries’ priority lists is Africa set to rise, and to what extent is health policy being seen as a fundamental element in their strategies? What role can private investors in Africa play in promoting growth and addressing health challenges?
Organised ahead of what is only the second EU-Africa Summit that took place Lisbon, the two-day international conference “Africa Unbound: Development, Health and Investment Strategies 2010-2020” addressed the issues of EU and Africa relations, meeting the Millennium Development Goals, health and health services infrastructure, the role of the public-private sector in the developing world, as well as investment into the African continent and good governance.
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Monday, December 10, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
Separating fact from fiction in Euope's biofuels debate?
Biofuels jumped to the top of the political agenda this year when EU leaders committed to raising their share in transport fuels from current levels of less than 2% to as much as
10% by 2020, in order to reduce Europe’s oil dependency and address concerns over
rising oil prices, security of energy supply and climate change. However, no sooner was the target set than arose all sorts of questions and doubts about the feasibility of biofuels’ widespread development and commercialisation, their sustainability, their impact on agriculture and global trade and their capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A dinner debate, co-organised by General Motors Corporation at Friends of Europe on
16 October, gathered stakeholders from all horizons in an attempt to provide answers to
some of these questions, with its results to be read in this report.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
What ideas does the food industry have for the EU's anti-obesity drive and for making healthy options available?
Obesity is a problem that is affecting many developed societies and if the everincreasing numbers of those who can be defined as obese cannot be reduced shortly Europe will pay in many ways including spiralling health costs, disease and increased mortality.
The question put to the guest speakers and the audience at the Friends of Europe Café Crossfire event on 4 October 2007 was what the food industry has done to help combat the EU’s anti-obesity drive.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
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European Policy Summit report
Water Security - Does Europe have a Strategy?
Europe may as yet not have a fully fledged water security strategy, but it certainly has
the building blocks to develop one that will fortify it against the threats to water posed by
climate change. That was the tenure of a day of intense discussion between EU and
national policymakers, NGOs and industry leaders gathered in Brussels for the
European Policy Summit on the challenges being created by climate change and
inadequate water management, which was co-organised by Friends of Europe and the
European Water Partnership on 7 June.
Monday, October 01, 2007
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Atlantic Rendez-Vous report
Horizon 2020 / Green Week
Climate change, energy efficiency and carbon markets are critical issues on both sides of the Atlantic. Trade and industrial considerations have played a part in the environmental policy differences between Europe and the US. But with growing consensus across the Atlantic on the speed and seriousness of climate change, now the question is what common goals and agendas for action are taking shape. In this framework, biofuels are playing an increasingly important role in both Europe and America. The Bush Administration has focused on increasing biofuel production to reduce America’s dependency on oil imports. Will EU concerns about both energy security and more environmentally friendly transport systems push European agriculture in the same direction? How should Brussels and Washington be concerting their environmental and agriculture policy thinking to ensure they are working together rather than against one another?
Friday, September 28, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
Are global safety rules an achievable goal?
Just as the EU is nearing achievement of its ambitious REACH programme for making chemicals safer, sights are being set on the global goal of a UN system for worldwide chemicals classification and labeling. Agreed in 2002 at the Johannesburg summit on Sustainable Development, the new GHS system is due to be implemented in 2008. But practical difficulties abound over the consistency of standards and administrative procedures, raising questions about how GHS might be fine-tuned if it is to be globally effective.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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Atlantic Rendez-Vous report
Defining the EU-China-US policy triangle
This report presents the outcome of the third Atlantic Rendez-Vous (ARV) project in
Friends of Europe’s 2006-2007 ARV series. The ARV series is an initiative of Friends
of Europe in collaboration with the European Commission Delegation to the US and
Gallup Europe. It aims to create a platform for enhanced dialogue and policy debate
between the EU and the US on key transatlantic issues. The pioneering transatlantic
satellite format that connects Brussels and Washington in a lively TV-style debate, and
the contributions of a wide range of American and European experts, make Friends of
Europe’s ARV series unique in its genre, represent an unprecedented attempt to create
a transatlantic platform for debate
Sunday, July 01, 2007
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European Policy Summit report
Changing our energy culture
The European Commission believes structural reforms to the energy sector are needed and is seeking to split ownership of energy producers and the distribution network so that producers no longer have to worry about grid issues in thinking about their energy mix, to increase the power of regulators and to boost the carbon market – Europe is now the global centre for carbon trade, with a golden opportunity to take global leadership in an area that is going to be of huge importance to the world economy in years to come.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
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Atlantic Rendez-Vous report
Energy: Security of supply and climate change: are America and Europe energy collaborators or competitors?
The global energy landscape has evolved rapidly in recent months and has confronted the EU and the US with a range of problems that threaten their prosperity and the sustainability of their economies. Increased global insecurity and greater scientific understanding of the human impact on the world’s climate have pushed the twin threats of energy security and climate change to the top of the political agenda. As a result, governments around the world have been spurred into action.
It is against this background that Friends of Europe publishes this ARV report on energy.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
Did the Commission get the balance right in proposing the aviation carbon cap?
The dinner debate co-organised by Deutsche Post World Net at Friends of Europe on 15 May discussed whether the Commission was on the right track with its December 2006 proposal on airline emissions. Air travel contributes roughly 1.5% of total carbon dioxide emissions in the EU. Although this is a small amount, studies indicate that this figure could rise rapidly, threatening to counter progress made by industry to meet the EU Kyoto target of cutting greenhouse gases by 8% in 2012 (compared to 1990 levels).
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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Policy Spotlight report
Time and Substance: Twin challenges for Portugal's EU Presidency
Speaking at the latest Friends of Europe Policy Spotlight, Portuguese Foreign Minister Luís Amado spelled out his country’s comprehensive plans for the next EU Presidency. Describing the urgent need for a new constitutional treaty, Amado said the basis already exists and that Portugal will act quickly if it receives the appropriate mandate in June from the German Presidency. The Minister also set out the case for a greater focus on the EU’s southern borders and for a solid partnership with the African Union.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Political Cartoons: Where should we draw the line?
Cartoons have the ability to cause mirth and merriment for many, but they can also produce violent and angry reactions, like those seen in Denmark after the publication of the illustrations portraying the prophet Mohammed last year. But are cartoonists contributing to a problem that already exists, or are they merely reflecting its existence in our society? Because cartoons can communicate in a language that is more clear and precise than text, how can policymakers harness this power to create a positive symbol for Europe?
Friday, May 04, 2007
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Friends of Europe discussion paper
Road-map To A New Treaty
The new report by Friends of Europe argues that a solution is within reach if the leaders set aside the huge text of the Constitution agreed by governments, but rejected by French and Dutch voters, and concentrate on a short treaty designed to make the Union work better by some practical changes to the organisation. The wider use of majority voting and better coordination of decision-making are the essential elements to make the Union both more democratic and more efficient.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
Are vehicle emissions the Achilles' Heel of Europe's climate change strategy?
The EU’s recent proposal to introduce binding caps on the amount of CO2 that new cars can emit has created fears within the industry that Europe’s manufacturers will be at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world. But how can we reconcile the environmental imperative to cut emissions with the desire to keep European business afloat?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
Is a pan-European postal market now in sight?
As the target date looms for the completion of a single internal market in postal services (set for January 2009) the European Commission is optimistic that the groundwork has been laid to meet the deadline. But will postal liberalisation lead to increased competition and more benefits both for the market and for consumers?
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Europe's innovation-driven future - Do we have a road-map?
If innovation is the key to Europe’s future, as President Barroso commented at the recent Friends of Europe debate, and we are relying on European talent to help us fight the twin challenges of climate change and security of energy supply, then a co-ordinated strategy on commercialising our research is essential. With a European Institute of Technology and the FP7 Programme for funding research and development activities, we have the tools to begin to close the innovation gap between Europe and its American and Asian competitors. But it’s crucial that any new institutions set up are not rendered inoperable by excess bureaucracy and red tape.
Monday, March 26, 2007
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Policy Spotlight report
François Bayrou's Strategy for Refounding Europe
François Bayrou, President of France’s UDF centrist party and candidate in the presidential elections in May, outlined his strategy to address the fundamental crises facing the EU. In his landmark address he outlined how France needs to be at the centre of efforts to provoke a Europe-wide political debate on the EU’s future. Bayrou saw ratification of this new constitution by referendum by the French electorate as the only way to re-establish the link between the French nation and the European ideal.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Can self-regulation cut through the EU's red tape?
Red Tape at a European level is often considered a burden on business, so what are the incentives to cut regulation or introduce self-regulation for certain industry sectors? Proponents of self-regulation claim that removing the administrative burden on companies can add to national GDP, and create money for investment in growth and jobs. But the issues of trust and protection of the consumer must also be addressed.
Monday, March 05, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
What should be the EU's stance in the global debate on GMOs?
Since becoming a major policy issue at the end of the last decade, the debate over the use of GMOs has been dominated by major disagreements on both sides – each one informed by different bodies of scientific evidence. A central question to be answered is how Europe’s stance on GMOs affects policy in other parts of the world – particularly in developing economies whose concerns in the GMO debate are very different from ours in Europe.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
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Conference report
The World Poverty Agenda: How the IMF Sees It
Despite the global economy enjoying one of its best periods for continued economic growth since World War II, the problem of poverty still exists in many parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The prevailing feeling at the recent roundtable discussion was that, although the IMF should have a role in poverty reduction, it cannot act alone to relieve world poverty. International co-operation is crucial to ensure developing countries gain access to trade, can predict levels of foreign aid and are able to achieve political and economic stability.
Friday, February 09, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
The European Agencies: Who Needs Them?
The first EU agency was set up in 1994 and their numbers have now grown to 32, addressing European policy areas such as airline certification, environment, defence and food safety. But what benefits do European agencies bring to Member States and to European citizens? And how do they fit into the decision-making and legislative process alongside national and EU institutions?
Monday, January 29, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Whetting the consumer's appetite for new EU food labelling rules
The labels on food products are the closest that many people get to EU rules and regulations, and offer European policymakers a valuable means of encouraging healthier eating. With the Commission now pondering a revised nutrition labelling directive, what should be the ingredients for a new and unified EU-wide system? What sort of information should consumers be able to find on food labels and packaging, and how should the new directive reconcile scientific rigour with better communication?
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
Does Europe yet have the roads that lead to economic prosperity?
Europe’s roads, and in particular motorways, are the arteries of the economy, and the EU’s enlargement underlines the wide differences and challenges that already exist in the Union’s roads infrastructure. The European Commission’s revised Transport White Paper is a tool that can be used to address the issues of fatalities on the roads, public/private partnerships and technological challenges – but is it the right tool?
Monday, January 22, 2007
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European Policy Summit report
Europe's Balkan Partners
Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Albania are all queueing up to join the EU. The signing of the new Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is a sign that Western Balkan countries are jointly taking their economic and political destinies in their own hands. But when and how the EU will expand beyond 27 Member States is a question that lacks a clear answer. The EU must show a clear strategic vision of future expansion, and practical steps to increase co-operation should be taken on each side to ensure the accession process doesn’t lose momentum.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Visions of the Future: A Prelude to Change - Five Scenarios for 2035
If we continue on our current trajectory, even the most optimistic projections suggest that by 2050 humanity will demand resources at double the rate at which the Earth can generate them. What will Europe´s society and environment look like in 30 years’ time, let alone by 2050? Can we anticipate some of the problems of tomorrow and, if so, what should be done? Preserve landscapes as they are now? Attempt to steer change or simply let change happen?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
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European Policy Summit report
Europe's Demographic Challenge
The global population is growing and Europeans are now living longer than ever before, but with these developments comes a demographic challenge: Eurostat predicts that by the middle of the century, Europe’s working population will decrease by almost 10%. This pressure on the European working population has forced the issues of labour migration, pensions, childcare, healthcare and retirement to the top of the agenda. How can Europe begin to approach the demographic challenge in a holistic way to ensure all the issues are addressed?
Thursday, November 23, 2006
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European Policy Summit report
Energy Europe: Security of Supply, Competitiveness and Environmental Sustainability
The EU needs a common energy policy. It needs it to stop EU members from undermining each other on energy supplies, to manage the internal energy market and to promote a transition to more sustainable energy consumption. But while for Commissioner Dimas Brussels will take the lead in the international debate on climate change, and Commissioner Piebalgs calls for a transatlantic carbon market, many uncertainties are still looming on Europe’s unfolding energy policy. The credibility and scope of the ETS has to be reinforced, change in customer demand and improvements in EU’s infrastructure are needed for an efficient internal market, providing a more secure and sustainable energy mix.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Re-fashioning the UN for the 21st Century
The United Nations needs reform—on that, everyone agrees. But there is a distinct disagreement on what specific kind of reform is needed and for what purpose. Now into its second half-century, the UN is at the centre of an increasingly lively debate on how its structures might be reformed in response to the changing challenges it faces. As Secretary General-designate Ban Ki-moon prepares to take on this most arduous of diplomatic posts, what is the outlook for UN reform? To discuss these and other related issues, Friends of Europe brought together a distinguished panel of experts for its latest Café Crossfire debate.
Monday, November 06, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
The State of Europe
Pragmatic progress and strategic alliances are the order of the day rather than ‘grands projects’ in the current climate of the European Union. Practical issues such as migration strategies, international trade, environmental cooperation and fostering innovation are being constantly developed to further the goal of the European Union as a major global player.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
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Atlantic Rendez-Vous report
EU-China Relations: Defining a new partnership
This Friends of Europe report is based on the proceedings of the latest Atlantic Rendez-Vous satellite debate between Brussels and Washington DC. China has to be a strategic partner, based on political dialogue as much as on trade. That was the view in both Brussels and Washington at the latest Atlantic Rendez-Vous. The EU and the US have their own concerns, but they share the same strategic view – that China will be a key player in the 21st century, not least on the trade and investment landscape. Where they differ is in the tactics of managing the transition.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
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Policy Spotlight report
UN Reform: Ongoing Process or Distant Dream
Mark Malloch Brown, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations told a high-level Friends of Europe audience that current UN governance, including the UN Security Council, no longer reflects the global reality because it still largely based on the outcome of World War II. “A Security Council without real membership opportunities for countries such as India, Brazil or any African country is clearly not reflecting how power is distributed today, “ he said. A much-needed shake-up of the UN will remain a distant dream until these issues have been tackled. “When it comes to reform, I would say we have covered the first mile, but this will be a marathon,“ he told his audience of ambassadors, journalists, EU officials and business leaders.
Monday, October 02, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Information for Patients: The EU's Policy Options
The lack of access to safe water and sanitation faced by billions of people worldwide is one of the key challenges facing sustainable development. How can we ensure that access to safe water across Europe is extended as far as possible, without compromising water quality? Can policy be effective in changing people’s attitudes and behaviour to help to reduce the overwhelming demand for water at home and at work? Communication between a wide range of stakeholders seems to be an important part of addressing demand-related issues. But on what basis should such communication take place, and how do we ensure that this is an inclusive and effective process?
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
How safe is REACH making Europe's consumers?
After seven years of intense negotiation between EU policymakers, industry representatives and both consumer and environmental organisations, the EU's REACH strategy for making chemical products safer is nearing completion. Are satisfactory compromises in the offing for issues like the automatic substitution of any safer chemical available? And have outstanding questions on labeling been resolved? Above all, can the EU's 450m consumers be certain that levels of both risk and hazard relating to some 30,000 chemicals in everyday use have now been reduced without triggering major cost increases at the supermarket checkout desk?
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
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Policy Spotlight report
Policy Spotlight with Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s Interior Minister, and contender for next year’s presidential elections, outlined his vision for the future of Europe at Friends of Europe in Brussels. In his first major policy statement on EU issues he outlined to a capacity audience of international press, NGOs, EU officials and business leaders, a far-reaching reform agenda that is clearly calculated to rekindle a Europe-wide political debate on the EU’s future.
Friday, September 08, 2006
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Policy Spotlight report
Turkey and the EU: Four Scenarios, from Train Crash to Full Steam Ahead
Less than a year after the formal start of Turkey’s accession talks with the European Union, the two sides seem at loggerheads. The complex and often ambiguous relationship between the EU and Turkey is strained and risks being sorely tested in the coming weeks. Kirsty Hughes outlines the possible scenarios for EU-Turkish relations in the autumn ranging from full steam ahead to total train crash. A Report in association with Chatham House and the European Institute of the London School of Economics.
Friday, September 01, 2006
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European Policy Summit report
The World's Water Crisis: Turning the Tide - Policies for the Future
The lack of access to safe water and sanitation faced by billions of people worldwide is one of the key challenges facing sustainable development. How can we ensure that access to safe water across Europe is extended as far as possible, without compromising water quality? Can policy be effective in changing people’s attitudes and behaviour to help to reduce the overwhelming demand for water at home and at work? Communication between a wide range of stakeholders seems to be an important part of addressing demand-related issues. But on what basis should such communication take place, and how do we ensure that this is an inclusive and effective process?
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Meeting Europe's Obesity Challenge
With 14 million children in the EU overweight, Europe is faced with an obesity problem of epidemic proportions. Can Europe do anything to solve it and if so, how far and at what level should it intervene? These were just some of the questions posed on June 8 at a Friends of Europe Café Crossfire lunch debate on Meeting Europe’s Obesity Challenge that brought together key actors in the field, including Robert Madelin, European Commission Director General for Health and Consumer Protection, Jean Martin, President of the Commission of Food and Drink Industries of the EU and Geof Rayner, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Food Policy, City University London. Among many of the issues raised, the speakers laid particular stress on self-regulation of food and drink manufacturers and the role education can play in tackling the problem.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
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European Policy Summit report
Greening Our Cities: Environmental Priorities for Urban Communities
Defining environmental policies is key to improving Europe’s sustainability, maximising resource efficiency and minimising impact on the climate. More efficient planning and use of resources in Europe will both help protect the environment and leave more resources available for the rest of the world, particularly poorer countries. Cities face a major challenge with waste despite the fact that EU environment legislation has helped improve the way we dispose of and recycle it.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
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Atlantic Rendez-Vous report
Transatlantic Cooperation on Homeland Security
The aftermath of 9/11 at first saw an increase in transatlantic frictions over different approaches to anti-terrorist policy by the U.S. and EU Member States. This debate asked how much coordination existed in areas ranging from intelligence-gathering to surveillance, and from enhanced security measures to civil and infrastructural protection? Were the US and Europe thinking alike on homeland security?
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
The Future Role of Europe in Space
Keynote speaker Mauro Facchini, Deputy Head of the European Commission´s Space Policy Unit, told the audience that the Commission expects the space and security budget to be cut by about 30%. This prompted Michel Praet, Head of the Cabinet for the DG for Enterprise and Industry at the European Space Agency (ESA), to question the feasibility of any future European space policy which is not properly funded.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Defining Europe's Soft Power
Is Europe a "soft" or "hard" power? While Eneko Landaburu, DG for External Affairs at the European Commission, argued that if Europe was to grow from being a regional power it must show more "courage and ambition", Michael McKinley, Deputy Chief of the US Mission to the EU, was quick to highlight some of Europe´s recent achievements. Menouar Alem, Ambassador of the Moroccan Mission to the EU, insisted that Europe needed to combine"soft" or "hard" power.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Automotive Research: Recapturing Europe's Lead
According to Ari Vatanen MEP, “if Europe wants to survive, it needs to have high added-value products and invest heavily in science and education”. Jack Metthey, Director for Transport, EC Directorate General for Research, and Lars-Göran Rosengren President and CEO of Volvo Technology Corporation, also contributed their views on automotive research and on the best approach to achieve greater competitiveness and greater road safety in Europe.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Tackling Europe's Innovation Shortcomings
At the latest Café Crossfire on Europe's innovation shortcomings organised by Friends of Europe in association with Intel, MEP Vittorio Prodioffered a European perspective, while Intel’s Chairman of the Board, Craig Barrett, was on hand to demonstrate the American way. Barrett stressed the three key ingredients of a policy that would be both innovative and commercially productive. These were: education, broad-based R&D, and the creation of the right environment to allow investment in innovation. The Intel Chairman of the Board painted a picture of educational establishments, corporations and venture capitalists working together in the active pursuit of wealth.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Policymakers' Dinner
Northern Climate Change and the Melting Polar Ice-cap: An EU Challenge?
Safeguarding the Arctic region’s climate is a critically important part of averting global climate change. What needs to be done to focus EU efforts on it, while also maintaining the momentum generated at the Montreal Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention?
Monday, March 27, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Atlantic Rendez-Vous
Is the Atlantic a two-way street for Innovation?
This report takes an original approach to a familiar problem: what can be done to
create an innovative Europe and how can a transatlantic partnership foster better cooperation and exchange of innovation best practice between the EU and the US? It is
part opinion poll, part survey of political leaders and opinion makers, and part group
study findings.
The report presents the outcome of the third Atlantic Rendez-Vous (ARV) project in
Friends of Europe’s 2006-2007 ARV series
Friday, March 17, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Who's Afraid of the Polish Plumber?
What are the main arguments, pros and cons, being advanced by the two sides of the debate, and with the services directive now firmly back in the EU’s legislative process, what are its prospects of reaching the Statute Book in its present shape?
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
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Summary of Debate - Café Crossfire
Policy Drivers for Change: Meeting Europe's road safety challenge
What can policymakers do to include a greater road safety dimension in Europe's "culture of mobility?" With two-thirds of all fatal traffic accidents occurring in towns, what should urban authorities be doing to make their roads safer?
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
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