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	The European Trialogue report Must EU competition rules be adapted to meet industrial policy priorities? Both the practice and the legality of the EU competition rules as applied by the European Commission have been coming under fire. What are the policy objectives that the promised overhaul of the competition rules should aim to meet, and to what extent will the drive to sharpen EU enterprise policies influence the process? Monday, December 02, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	Conference report Public opinion and the debate on the future of the EU Speaking at the Conference entitled Public Opinion and the debate on the future of the EU at Madrid’s ‘Fundación Carlos de Amberes’ on November 4, 2002, Ana Palacio, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, described the European Convention’s work as a “revolution in the development of public international law”. Not all of the panellists shared this view, with the Financial Times’ Quentin Peel commenting that the current discussions featured the “usual horse-trading”. During the debate, however, it became apparent that the Convention represents a unique chance to resolve some of the problems besetting the European Union. Monday, November 04, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	The European Trialogue report The Johannesburg Global Summit: Were hopes being raised too high? There is now an impressive head of steam behind the concept of sustainable development, among both political and business leaders. The outlook for the Johannesburg Global Summit therefore seems much more encouraging today than a year ago. But with the lessons in mind of Rio a decade ago, and more recently of Kyoto, what expectations can we realistically have for the follow-up of the Summit? Monday, October 07, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	Friends of Europe discussion paper Power in Europe: The case for turning the Commission into the European Council's executive arm The attached paper on the reform process of the European Union is a contribution to the debate on this issue within the Brussels-based reflection group, Friends of Europe. It does not represent a collective view of the Trustees of Friends of Europe, nor does it prejudice any formal stand that Friends of Europe may wish to take on the work of the Convention. Tuesday, October 01, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Keith Richardson & Robert Cox
	The European Trialogue report Corporate Social Responsiblity: What should the EU guidelines look like? The speed and enthusiasm with which Europe’s major employers have embraced the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been a very positive phenomenon. But it has coincided with rising doubts about corporate ethics and corporate governance in the context of the globalisation debate. What contribution could EU guidelines make to the further growth of CSR practices and what is the thinking behind the Commission’s new role as creator of the EU multi-stakeholder forum on CSR? Monday, September 30, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	The European Trialogue report Is Europe's cultural integration being speeded by the 'Information Age'? Cultural Policy was a relative latecomer to the EU, dating only from 1991 and the Maastricht Treaty. But its arrival has coincided with the accelerating technological revolution that is turning upside down the business environments of creative industries ranging from music to broadcasting and publishing to education and training. How important are dossiers like the pan-European introduction of digital TV to the EU’s Cultural Cooperation Strategy, and what measurable cultural goals have so far been achieved? Monday, September 16, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	Conference report Spain's European Agenda: The European Union under the Spanish Presidency Spain’s Secretary of State for European Affairs Ramón de Miguel heralded a “new political roadmap based on the post accession situation” at the conference held in Brussels on Monday June 24 by Friends of Europe and the Real Instituto Elcano de Estudios Internacionales y Estratégicos to analyse the Spanish Presidency. Reviewing the Presidency, de Miguel highlighted progress on EU enlargement, saying “accession is now a reality”. Monday, June 24, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	The European Trialogue report Can Europe be proud of its aid policies? At the recent Monterrey conference, the EU’s progressive stance on development aid contrasted very favourably with that of the US. Yet criticisms abound of the way that EU aid is allocated and administered, and there are fresh doubts about the value of the Cotonou Agreement that replaces the longstanding Lome aid-and-trade pacts with developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Has the Commission’s overhauling of aid to create EuropeAid yet yielded any concrete benefits? Monday, June 17, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	The European Trialogue report How real are the business opportunities of enlargement? The investment and trade effects of the EU’s ambitious enlargement strategy have so far been patchy. But with a “Big Bang” enlargement of the EU and its Single Market to 25 member states now in sight, what are the prospects for a surge of new business opportunities in sectors like banking, financial services and energy and in advanced technologies like ITC and bio-sciences? Monday, June 03, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN Friends of Europe
	Friends of Europe discussion paper The Future of the European Union In October 2001 the Irish Joint Committee of the Oireachtas asked John Bruton T.D. to prepare a report on the Future of the European Union. In his report, Deputy Bruton was asked to address particular issues relating to the European Institutions; the role of National Parliaments; the democratic legitimacy of the Union; the role of its citizens; the Charter of Fundamental Rights; the system of EU decision making; the role of Europol; and the role of the Commission. Since the report was commissioned, the Laeken Summit has taken place and it adopted a declaration, which considerably elaborates upon the Agenda set at Nice, which was the original basis of the terms of reference. For the sake of completeness, the report has been enlarged to deal with the additional issues raised in the Laeken declaration. Wednesday, May 01, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN John Bruton
	European Policy Summit report Europe's Cultural Policy Challenges Jointly organised by Friends of Europe and Eurocinema, the seminar held in Paris on 12 February 2002 on the theme “What future for European cultural policy?” brought together some 200 participants – including professionals, experts and representatives of European institutions – to discuss the challenges ahead and also, more importantly, to identify effective strategies to strengthen Europe’s cultural excellence. Recent international debates, particularly on the controversial concept of “cultural exception”, have highlighted a number of sensitive issues as well as the importance of terminology and the key role played by collective imagination in a continent characterised by a wide variety of languages and cultures. Tuesday, February 12, 2002 Download a copy of the document in: EN FR Friends of Europe