The Green Deal shows the EU raising its environmental ambitions. The European commission has already made several proposals, including tougher climate measures. But existing conditions are different across the EU. How can the countries of Central and Eastern Europe maximize their benefit from the Green Deal, and not end up on the wrong side of a widening gap? And what does it take for the whole EU to benefit from higher environmental ambitions?
The European Green Deal could accelerate convergence between newer and older member states. But if its implementation is badly managed, argues Julian Popov of the European Climate Foundation, it will instead widen the economic and social gap between East and West. (2021:17epa)
In response to rising antisemitism the European Commission has presented the first EU Strategy on Combatting Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life. Ned Hercock, Research Assistant at SIEPS, reads between the lines of the strategy and considers its historical and political context.
Political accountability is essential for a well-functioning European Union. How is this function exercised, and how can it be improved? These questions will be discussed by experts at a webinar on 6 October.
Is there sufficient political accountability in the EU’s multilevel governance system? Are the public and their representatives able and willing to have decision-makers answer for their decisions? In this report Professor of Public Policy Yannis Papadopoulos examines the mechanisms of horizontal and vertical accountability vis-à-vis the EU institutions and assesses their effectiveness. (2021:4)
In recent years, the European Court of Justice has strengthened the rule of law as a binding value within the EU. This change is the result of several landmark rulings in the period 2018 to 2021, which should be seen in the context of the decline of the rule of law in some Member States. Professors Laurent Pech and Dimitry Kochenov unveil a profound change of the EU as a constitutional system. (2021:3)
What do individual member states want to achieve with the Conference on the future of the EU? New report from EPIN with short contributions on the views in 18 member states. The Swedish view is described by Jakob Lewander, researcher in political science at SIEPS.
An updated version of the EU’s “New Industrial Strategy for Europe”, presented a year ago, was discussed at SIEPS’ webinar on May 12 2021. The further evolution of the strategy was analyzed in light of last year’s dramatic developments. A recording of the webinar is available here.
Since 2020, SIEPS publishes a series of studies and has organized seminars on the effects of the Swedish EU membership. Executive summaries in English in all publications.
Recent publications in English
On September 26th 2021 Germany goes to the polls. Who will govern after the election, and how will they deal with upcoming EU policy questions? SIEPS Senior Researcher Valentin Kreilinger sets the election in its European context, by examining the parties’ manifestos and outlining possible coalition governments. (2021:16epa)
In July 2020, the European Council agreed on a plan to help Member States’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement has important implications, writes Professor Erik Jones, but challenges remain. One crucial factor is whether the Member States succeed in managing their recovery and resilience plans. (2021:11epa)
The EU is committed to gender mainstreaming across all its policies and activities. When it comes to the European Commission, researchers Lut Mergaert and Rachel Minto argue that there are examples of good practice, but also weaknesses. An important task for the Commission, they write, will be to target the transformation of its own organisation. (2021:8epa)
The European Commission is a key institution for EU policy but is only recently approaching gender equality. In this analysis, professors Miriam Hartlapp and Agnes Blome provide an overview of women’s representation at the top positions in the Commission and suggest actions for a better gender balance in the future. (2021:6epa)
The pandemic has led to alternative means of reaching decisions in the EU. How this has affected EU legislation and democracy is examined by Valentin Kreilinger at SIEPS and Selma Bendjaballah at Sciences Po Paris. The effects are analysed against the long-term trends in EU legislative affairs. (2021:12epa)
The Lisbon Treaty aimed at a deeper integration of member states’ foreign policies at the EU level. Yet, EU external action is often steered by informal groupings of member states. Maria Giulia Amadio Viceré (EUI) describes these practices and assesses the implications through two criteria: effectiveness and accountability. (2021:2epa)
The rivalry of today’s world should induce the EU to act as a cohesive force. Yet, EU countries are still struggling to focus on the common interest. The 10th anniversary of the European External Action Service thus constitutes an opportune moment to reconsider its contribution to EU foreign policy. This report on the EEAS is the fruit of a research cooperation to which SIEPS has contributed. (January 2021)
Policy overview: A European Defence Union by 2025? Work in progress
“We need further bold steps in the next five years towards a genuine European Defence Union.” This goal was proclaimed by Ursula von der Leyen when she took office as the new President of the European Commission in 2019. Given the developments in this area, is the EU likely to be equipped with a Defence Union by 2025?
This question is examined by Katarina Engberg, senior advisor at SIEPS. In this policy overview, she describes the drivers behind the EU’s defence policy, its current and evolving elements as well as remaining weaknesses, considering the role of defence throughout the EU’s history.
With this overview, the reader is offered a roadmap for assessing the evolution of European defence policy over time: Will the proclaimed Defence Union amount to the mere accumulation of pragmatic progress? Or will it result from jolts produced by political initiatives or/and external challenges?
In the overview, it is also suggested that the EU calls out defence more clearly, now shrouded under the cover of external crisis management and industrial policy.
Past seminars in English
On 4 February, SIEPS and the Expert Group on Public Economics (ESO) jointly arranged a seminar with the aim of disseminating knowledge about the organisations’ work on taxation and to identify important areas for research with respect to taxation in a digitalised and globalised world.
On the 31st of January 2020, SIEPS and The Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union in Brussel held a seminar on the EU Industrial Policy.
The seminar was filmed and is available on Facebook.
Seminar on the rule of law and democracy, 27 January 2020, co-organized by SIEPS and CER and hosted by the Swedish Permanent Representation to the EU.
More pictures and a short summary.
Christophe Hillion, Senior Researcher in Law at SIEPS, at the CER/SIEPS seminar on 27 January 2020.
In his contribution on Verfassungsblog, a blog on constitutional matters, he develops the same topic with respect to the COVID-19 crisis (27 April 2020).
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