Report of Activities 2006
TEPSA
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Report of Activities 2006
Foreword
About TEPSA
Summary of Activities 2006
1. The Presidency Conferences
1.1The Finnish Presidency Conference
1.2The German Presidency Conference
2. Studies and Projects
2.1Ongoing Projects
2.1.1‘Wider Europe, Deeper Integration? Constructing Europe Network’; Network of Excellence (EU-CONSENT)
2.1.2 Respect and promotion of fundamental rights, citizenship and combating discrimination
2.1.3 Regular overview of the development in the area on freedom, security and justice
2.1.4 ‘Networking for Citizens and Neighbours – Networking for Europe’ (PHARE – Civil Society Programme 2004)
2.1.5 EU-China European Studies Centres Programme (ESCP/G001, 2004)
2.2Tender proposals
2.2.1 Tender for "Provision of External Expertise on Foreign Policy Subjects", submitted on 28th September 2006
2.2.2 Tender for a service contract on “Legal framework for EU neighbourhood policy”, submitted on 27th October 2006
2.2.3 Tender for a study on “Comparison in parliamentary involvement in the decision-making processesfor ESDP missions (at European and national levels as well as in Bulgaria and Romania)”, submitted on 22nd November 2006.
3. Meetings and Conferences
Monday, 8th May 2006: The Process of ratification as subject of national politics
Tuesday, 9th May 2006: The construction of a European public opinion
3.1“A EU Foreign and Security Policy with Global Reach? Actors, Procedures, Capabilities and Effectiveness”
3.2Changing Conception of Security and Governance
3.3L’état de l’Union et l’agenda pour l’avenir de l’Europe
3.4 Colloque « la politique énergétique européenne: le cas de l’approvisionnement en gaz. Approche nationale ou communautaire?
3.5 EU and Japan: the emerging challenges for the middle of the decade 2000-2010
4. TEPSA-Friends / Les Amis de TEPSA Meetings
4.1“How to salvage the Constitution” -the EP report on the period of reflection (31st January 2006, 6pm)
4.2 The Doha Round: which prospects after the Hong Kong meeting? / Le cycle de Doha: quelles perspectives après la reunion de Doha? (16th February 2006, 6:30pm)
4.3 Géopolitique de la Mer Noire: enjeux pour la Russie et l´Union Européenne (Geopolitics of the Black Sea: stakes for Russia and the European Union) (20th March 2006, 6:15pm)
4.4 The climate change after Montreal (21st March 2006, 5pm)
L´Union européenne et l´énergie de fusion: une option énergétique nouvelle, propre et durable (The European Union and the melting energy: a new, clean and sustainable energetic option) (20th April 2006, 6pm)
4.6The EU-budget and the services and ports directives: is the European Parliament gaining a greater political weight? (11th May 2006, 6:30pm)
4.7Les enjeux d´une politique Européenne de la recherché (The stakes of a European research policy) (18th May 2006, 8am)
Anna Lindh Award (14th September 2006, 3:30pm)
4.9 Le Parlement européen est-il pussant? (17th October 2006, 6:45pm)
America´s big challenges (14th November 2006, 12:00)
4.11. L’ approvisionnement de l’Europe en gaz’ (16th November 2006)
Decision-making in the external policies of the European Union (23rd November 2006, 5pm)
4.13 The EU and Japan as strategic partners (27th November 2006, 5:15pm)
4.14 L´espace Euro et sa gouvernance économique (7th December 2006, 6:15pm)
5. Networking
5.1 External Networking
5.2 Internal Networking
6. TEPSA General Assemblies, 12th June 2006 and 2nd December 20063
8. TEPSA Member Institutes4
Foreword
By Christian Franck, Secretary Generaland Wolfgang Wessels, Chairperson
During the year under review, TEPSA has continued to perform its two main traditional functions, which are organising events to stimulate reflection on the current EU issues and promoting and facilitating the creation of European wide networks.
In the aftermath of the failed referenda on the Constitutional Treaty in 2005, we are looking back on a year in which the activities of the Trans European Policy Studies association (TEPSA) focused on analysing and identifying possibilities of the relaunch of the European Union as main challenge of 2006. But some TEPSA seminars and “TEPSA Friends – Amis de TEPSA” conferences have also addressed the issue on the EU agenda.
In 2006 TEPSA has also performed its traditional function to promote, extend and enhance the capacity of a European-wide research network on all levels, thereby focusing on the increase of dissemination. TEPSA contributed intensively to the successful implementation of projects financed by the 6th Framework Programme (EU-CONSENT and NewGov) and prepared the member institutes for the 7th Framework Programme in order to facilitate their successful cooperation also within a new research framework.
In light of the organisational structure of TEPSA the network underwent some restructuring in 2006. At the end of 2006 Prof. Christian Franck resigned from the post of Secretary General, after 6 years, and the entire network expressed its gratitude and appreciation for Prof. Franck’s contribution to the successful implementation of TEPSA’s activities throughout the past years. Graham Avery (OxfordUniversity), former Inspector General at the Commission, was elected as new Secretary General and warmly welcomed by the General Assembly in December 2006.Both of us thank him for his ambitions and we are looking forward to the successful continuation of TEPSA’s work.
In the following an overview on TEPSA’s main aims and achievements are provided. For further information you can always contact Alessio Ruta () at the Secretariat General in Brussels.
Both of us thank the TEPSA partner institutes for their joint effort and engagement to contribute to TEPSA’s mission.
TEPSA benefits from the support of the European Commission
About TEPSA
●The Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) is an independent organization, established in 1974 at the initiative of a number of European institutes and think tanks. It aims at stimulating discussion on policies and political options for Europe promoting international research on European integration.TEPSA’s outreach stretches across Europe comprising affiliated national institutes from almost all EU member states and also several associated members from candidate countries. The outreach is continuously improved by enlarging the membership.
●The aim of TEPSA is to study European public policy in the interests of the European decision-makers and citizens. Among the many bodies that seek to provide enlightenment and advice about European policies, TEPSA has some specific qualities. It offers a problem-solving approach for those who want the EU to develop. While trying to be objective about the problems and realistic about the possibilities, TEPSA prefers solutions that tend towards closer integration, hence is more likely to identify them, and can be of more use than most other bodies to those in favour of such an approach. TEPSA gives a Europe-wide view combined with member states' views of the subjects studied. Thus the benefit is twofold:
- the network provides the chance to receive more information on member state’s views than bodies at European level, and
- the network provides optimal means of communication of information on other member states and on the European level.
●The subjects on which TEPSA works concern for the most part the functioning of the EU and the problems that affect it. This is enhanced by studies on its development towards more integration. The analyses are confined to elements that contribute to development towards a real Union. Main topics of interest are: Economic and Monetary Union; institutional reform / constitutional reforms; Common Foreign and Security Policy; external relations; Justice and Home Affairs; enlargement; citizens' support.
●International conferences are the main vehicle to promote direct contact between politicians, academics, national and European civil servants, journalists and people working in the field of education. These conferences are organisedin the name of TEPSA by one of the member institutes and based on research carried out by this institute or by an ad hoc TEPSA study group. TEPSA’s outreach was even enhanced by the participation in the EU-China European Studies Centres Programme.
●One of TEPSA’s main activities is the pre-presidential conferences. Twice a year TEPSA organises such conferences in co-operation with themember institute of the MemberState to assume the next presidency of the European Union. These presidential conferences bring together elements of TEPSA work and thinking, with the policy preferences of the presidential country and the policy possibilities of the EU. TEPSA contributes a perspective based on the views of most member states and on a non-bureaucratic inspiration for constructive European policies.
●TEPSA produces every two months an internal newsletter distributed amongst the members of the network. It includes internal information regarding TEPSA members, their activities and publications. It also includes external information concerning the network, such as calls for tenders, calls for expression of interest or information regarding the evolution of European legislative documents (Framework Programme 7, new programme "Citizens for Europe").The newsletter has demonstrated to be an effective channel of communication allowing for a structural and efficient internal communication which is an important element in a network of 27 members and associated members spread all over Europe.
●TEPSA mainly disseminates the proceedings of conferences and results of research projects through its newsletters, but also through a wide range of publications with Presses Interuniversitaires européennes, Brussels; Europa Union Verlag, Bonn; Kogan Page, London; Pinter, London; and Lynne Rienner, Boulder (Co.). One of the specific features of TEPSA – a multinational and multidisciplinary network of research – results in the publication of biennial publications such as ENLARGEMENT WATCH (1998-2003), EU WATCH (since 2004), the EURO-SPECTATOR (1999-2002), CFSP Watch and CFSP Watch and CFSP Forum (since 2003).
●Research results of TEPSA are also published in the following journals of its member institutes: OIIP-Arbeitspapiere, (Vienna); International Politics, (Prague); DIIS Brief, (Copenhagen); Working Papers, (Helsinki); Integration, (Berlin); Working Papers, (Budapest); Enlargement Update, EFSP Update, (Dublin); International Spectator, (Rome); Discussion Papers in Diplomacy, FOCUS, (the Hague); Newsletter, (Madrid); Internationnella Studier, (Stockholm); Working Groups Reports, European Essays, (London); Collegium, (Brugge); CFSP Watch; CFSP Forum.
●The governing body of TEPSA is the Board which is composed of the Chairperson Prof. Wolfgang Wessels (Jean Monnet Chair, University of Cologne), the Secretary General, since December 2006 Graham Avery (Oxford University, Great Britain) and the following members: Prof. Iain Begg (London School of Economics, Great Britain), Prof. Gianni Bonvicini (Istituto Affari Internazionali, Italy), Andrew Duff (MEP), Dr. Nikos Frangakis (Greek Centre of European Studies and Research), Dr. Gunilla Herolf (Swedish Institute of International Affairs), Jean-Victor Louis (Groupe d’Etudes Politiques Européennes, Belgium), Hanna Ojanen (Finnish Institute of International Affairs) and Dr. Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (MEP, The College of Europe, Natolin, Poland).
●The structure consists of a key body: theAssembly composed of the directors of all the member institutes, associated member institutes and a Secretariat General, composed by the Secretary General and his assistant, Mr. Alessio Ruta.
Summary of Activities 2006
In 2006, Trans European Policy Studies Associationhas been responding to the EUmain challenges, ready to evaluate and investigate at the internal level the possible relaunch of the EU, after the failure of the referenda on the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty in the Netherlands and in France. The external issues have also been raised after the ministerial meeting in Hong-Kong of the WTP members, at the time of the settlement of a Common strategy for Africa and of the reflection on the borders of the EU.
The grant of 2006 has been especially useful to allow TEPSA to achieve its objective of supporting its Europe-wide network of member institutes in the implementation of ongoing projects, and in the preparation of applications for new projects. Member institutes were regularly informed on the evolution of the Commission’s DG Research’s policy on the 7th Framework Programme. Apart from the regular information provided by the TEPSA newsletter administrative and financial support to member institutes for applying to other EU-funded projects has been also provided.
In light of the 7th Framework Programme’s launch at the end of 2006 the Trans European Policy Studies Association was focusing its activities on informing the member institutes on the respective calls and requirements for application.
Furthermore, TEPSA submitted a successful application for the EP Tender for a framework contract on ‘Foreign Policy’.
Hence TEPSA is providing both a stable base in Brussels as observer of decisions on calls being taken and an important linkage between the different research institutes across Europe. This enables the member institutes to find out and react to calls of their interest and potential research partners sufficiently timely to have a realistic chance of being successful. Thereby, research links are enhanced and some of them even newly established beyond the borders of the European Union.
As a network of research TEPSA has contributed extensively to the successful implementation of the first 12 months of the Joint Programme of Activities of EU-CONSENT – a network of excellence financed by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme. The 2nd EU-CONSENT plenary conference was organised 12th & 13th October 2006 in Brussels and TEPSA is currently dealing with the follow-up process of this conference, which comprised 120 participants including most of the TEPSA member institutes, as well as other institutes from everywhere in Europe.
Furthermore, the promotion of this Europe-wide network of excellence was facilitated by the Trans European Policy Studies Association due to its outreach to stakeholders and its location in the Brussels arena. Thus, not only the plenary conference took place at La Fondation Universitaire but also almost every meeting of the EU-CONSENT Steering Group and the Co-ordinator of EU-CONSENT could rely on and benefit from TEPSA’s organisational support.
This was also the case for the integrated project ‘NEWGOV’ (also under the 6th Framework Programme), for which two events were organised by TEPSA in 2006.
As a think tank TEPSA’s objective to contribute to the improvement of the quality of discussion and to disseminate information among civil society about the EU’s main challenges has been pursued, through TEPSA Friends meetings. Many of the main topics regarding the European institutions and policies have been integrated in the agenda of the TEPSA Friends events, from the institutional and constitutional field (such as the process of the constitutional treaty, the EU budget, the role of the EP and decision making in the external policies of the EU).
In terms of the multiplier effect, TEPSA reinforced the dissemination to civil society of results of the actions undertaken by both TEPSA and its member institutes. The TEPSA Newsletter is published on a bi-monthly basis.
Currently TEPSA is mapping the outreach to civil society of its member institutes and aims at enhancing this in 2007. Member institutes have been invited and supported by TEPSA to publicly launch their publications (books, reports, etc.) in the Brussels arena. The last book launch has just been co-organised by the Federal Trust and TEPSA on 23rd November 2006.
Once again TEPSA organised the EU-Japan Conference in collaboration with the ‘Université Libre de Bruxelles’ (ULB) and the International Christian University (Tokyo, Japan) which was held in Brussels 27th & 28th November 2006.
In order to optimise TEPSA’s outreach within an ever growing Europemembership was also enlarged in 2006. The General Assembly decided in December 2006 to accept the Institute of International Relations (IMO), from Croatia as associatedinstitute of TEPSA. After the inclusion of a Bulgarian member institute the Bulgarian European Community Studies Association (BECSA) in 2005 BECSA has now been integrated as full member. This enlargement implies the continued extension of TEPSA’s outreach to new member states and states with the prospect of EU membership. TEPSA has created several ‘search teams’ to identify institutes with qualifications for TEPSA membership in e.g.Romania andTurkey. The activities on European cross-border level are further enhanced by various activities organised in Brussels by the Middle Eastern Technical University (Ankara, Turkey), which is also a partner of the network of excellence ‘EU-CONSENT’.
For further information please contact Mr. Alessio Ruta () who is responsible for the administration and coordination within TESPA network at TEPSA permanent secretariat in Brussels. You may also consult our website at
1. The Presidency Conferences
1.1The Finnish Presidency Conference
Helsinki, 13 June 2006
Organised by the Finnish Institut of International Affairs and TEPSA
On the conference
At the Presidency Conference ‘Where next for Europe? Challenges and Priorities for the Finnish EU Presidency’several prominent international experts discussed the critical issues that the European Union faces. The first session, chaired by Professor Wolfgang Wessels, focused on the current challenges of chairing the European Union. In this session, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen spoke about some priority issues of the Finnish Presidency whereas Mr Jacques Delors, in a video interview, criticized the lost vision of the European leaders. Respectively the three following sessions brought up questions and answers regarding the common neighbourhood of the EU and Russia, the economic challenges posed by China and India to the European economic and social policies, and Turkey in the European Union.
Programme of the conference
●Tuesday, 13 June
Welcome
Dr. Tapani Vaahtoranta, Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Session 1: Chairing a Union in a Crisis?
Chair:Prof. Wolfgang Wessels, Jean Monnet Chair, University of Cologne, Chairman of TEPSA
Speakers:Mr. Matti Vanhanen, Finnish Prime Minister: ‘Challenges and priorities for the Finnish EU presidency’
Mr. Jacques Delors, Former President of the European Commission: ‘Lost leadership, lost vision, lost Union?’ (keynote contribution via video interview)
Dr. Gaetane Ricard-Nihoul, Secretary General, Notre Europe: Discussion
Session 2: Who Set the Tune in the Common Neighbourhood of the EU and Russia?
Chair:Prof. Gianni Bonvicini, Director, Instituto Affari Internazionali, Rome
Speakers:Dr. Arkady Moshes, Finnish Institute of International Affairs: ‘The Common Neighbourhood: Conflicting Views, Conflicting Policies?’