Reports 2012

The Black Sea region is of huge geostrategic importance to the EU, acting as an energy corridor and a bridge to the East, but the EU is yet to fully harness the potential for closer relations with partners in the region, participants heard in a Policy Dialogue.

The recent polarisation of Albanian politics has seen the country waste a lot of time on its journey to potential EU accession, but the progress made in the last twenty years is striking, heard participants in a Policy Dialogue.

The euro zone must grant a central authority powers to limit the debt issuance of euro members, to intervene in national budgets and to change national policies in order to create a deeper economic union and secure the single currency’s future, said Jörg Asmussen, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Civil society actors were able to make a positive contribution to the outcome of the ‘Rio+20’ United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, heard participants in a Policy Dialogue, organised in cooperation with the European Economic and Social Committee.

Federalism means different things to different people, but few commentators doubt that eurozone members must become more closely integrated if the EU is to overcome the crisis, heard participants in a Policy Dialogue held in cooperation with Notre Europe.

The EU’s emissions trading scheme will continue to be a key element of its climate policy, but the allocation of permits must be adapted to match the realities of the economic crisis and avoid over-flooding the market, said Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, at a Breakfast Policy Briefing.

Indonesia has emerged from political chaos and an economic abyss to become the 16^th largest economy in the world and one of the planet’s biggest and most vibrant democracies, heard participants in 2012's Stanley Crossick Lecture.

At their 28-29 June summit, which took place in ‘deep-crisis mode’, EU leaders agreed on two immediate measures designed to relax bond markets and relieve the pressure on Spain and Italy, participants heard at a Post-Summit Briefing.

Despite disillusionment with the slow pace of progress towards membership, EU accession remains the best anchor to secure economic growth and future prosperity for the Balkan region, heard participants at a Policy Dialogue.