EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:
A few weeks after the presentation by the European Commission of ‘Juncker Plan 2.0’, it is high time to look back at what has so far been achieved by the earlier version of the Juncker Plan – and how well it has worked for Belgium.
EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:
For those wishing to see the UK exit from the EU, Switzerland has become a poster child, an example of how a country outside the EU can retain access to the EU’s internal market, thereby flourishing economically, and yet retaining its sovereignty and independence. But can a similar arrangement to that of Switzerland really provide a suitable alternative – a “Plan B” – for the UK’s relationship with the EU? With the referendum providing potential exit for the UK from the EU rapidly approaching, a Swiss-type plan B deserves some serious consideration. This paper examines the central claims made by those who see Switzerland as a model for the UK’s future relationship with the EU and argues that the Swiss model is no Holy Grail for the UK.
EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:
A Monetary Union is one where there is a single fiat currency with a single monetary authority (a central bank). It also has a single interest and exchange rate, and a single legal entity responsible for issuing that currency across a geographic area. This combination of features required for a true monetary union suggests that many previous monetary unions, including the Latin Monetary Union (LMU) and the Scandinavian Monetary Union (SMU) were not proper monetary unions as such, while the Austro-Hungarian Monetary Union (AHMU) was and the Eurozone is.
EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:
This paper will address a rising issue within the EU – the increase of single parent families. Firstly, we will draw a general picture of the disadvantages faced by single parents and outline the possible causes of this phenomenon. Secondly, we will attempt to sketch possible alternative solutions that could inspire policymakers at the national and European levels. Both in our analysis and recommendations, we will put a particular emphasis on the dynamic role played by norms and representations.
Topic:
International Affairs and Global Political Economy
The negotiating table is almost set for Britain’s exit from the European Union. In recent months, the Brexit debate has been primarily focused on the UK’s future position within Europe. Little has been discussed about how this decision will affect the remaining 27 member states. With a preliminary date of March 2017 chosen to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, now is the time to begin formally discussing the challenges that both the UK and EU will face during negotiations.
The security environment in “wider Europe” has changed significantly in
recent years. Depending on one’s preferences, a wide range of milestones may be named – the airstrikes in Yugoslavia, the 9/11 attacks, the Madrid attacks, the war in Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, etc. In this study, however, the main issue we are addressing is the Ukrainian crisis (or war), Ukraine being our direct neighbor and a country of special interest – and this being the issue, according to a wide range of experts, that has had the most impact on the region’s security in decades.
In 2015 the world’s first self-defined feminist government was formed in Sweden. As part of that ambitious declaration, Sweden also became the first state ever to publicly adopt a feminist foreign policy, with a stated ambition to become the "strongest voice for gender equality and full employment of human rights for all women and girls." To be sure, launching a feminist foreign policy is a radical policy change. At the same time, this policy is embedded in the broader global efforts to promote gender equality in the international arena, which we have seen evolving over the past few decades in the aftermath of the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. The resolution "reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response, and in post-conflict reconstruction and stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security."
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Gender Issues, United Nations, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian Intervention, and Feminism
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
El cambio climático es uno de los mayores desafíos de la actualidad. La UE ha abordado el
tema de forma claramente insuficiente desde el punto de vista teórico, con unos
planteamientos demasiado inmovilistas y hasta conformistas con su propia acción. Pero, al
mismo tiempo, ha sido uno de los primeros y principales actores internacionales en actuar y
posicionarse claramente en la lucha contra el cambio climático. La Estrategia Global de
Seguridad de la UE no aborda adecuadamente ni el cambio climático como prioridad
fundamental ni algunas de sus implicaciones en las políticas de los Estados Miembros de la
UE.
Topic:
Security, Climate Change, Energy Policy, and European Union
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
Before the bing-bang enlargement of the EU in 2004, the Union needed to define a coherent policy
towards its new neighbours. The European Neighbourhood Policy was formulated when Poland
became a member of the EU. Due to its close ties with the Eastern European countries, Poland tried to
shape the EU foreign policy towards its neighbouring countries and became their advocate in
Brussels. In 2009 it succeeded in establishing the Eastern Partnership as one of the dimensions of the
European Neighbourhood Policy.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Regional Cooperation, and European Union
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
Twelve years have passed since the Polish entry into the European Union. For Poland the date
of 1 May 2004 is the culmination of a transformation process launched at the end of the Cold
War in 1989. One of the priorities of Polish foreign policy, the expansion of the political,
economic and cultural relations with Western Europe and the United States has been met. This
approach has been described as ‘the return to Europe’. Membership in the European Union
changed the Polish economy and the new politics opened up new opportunities for businesses
and citizens. The aim of the article is to analyze the balance of the Polish membership in the
European Union in the economic, financial, political and social dimensions.
Topic:
European Union, Partnerships, Finance, Economy, Exports, and Imports