2017年-CEPS欧洲政策研究中心_CEPS_Ideas_Lab_2017_24页_2mb

Summary of RECONSTRUCTING THE UNION Conference

Core Content

The RECONSTRUCTING THE UNION conference, held on 23-24 February 2017 in Brussels, brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss various challenges and opportunities facing the European Union. The event covered a wide range of topics, including digital transformation, trade policy, financial regulation, economic governance, social Europe, rights and security, and the role of EU institutions in shaping a more resilient and unified Europe.

Main Topics and Key Discussions

Digital Economy & Innovation

• Culture and Content in the Digital Single Market: The EU aims to enhance content production and dissemination through reforms such as the Information Society Directive and the creation of an Electronic Communications Code. The discussion focused on whether these rules are fit for purpose and how to implement them effectively.
• Trust and Privacy in the Internet of Things: With the rise of machine-to-machine communication, data protection and cybersecurity have become critical. The session examined the role of public-private partnerships in ensuring security and privacy in a digital environment.
• Open Science and Innovation: The EU is promoting open access to research, citizen science, and open innovation to address societal challenges. The debate centered on the implications for existing science and innovation policies and the openness of the EU policy process.

Better Regulation & Sustainable Development

• Better Regulation Agenda: The EU needs to align its policies for the long term, and the session explored the challenges and necessary changes to achieve this.
• National Productivity Boards: These bodies, established as part of the Five Presidents' report, are meant to improve productivity across the eurozone. The discussion focused on their design, governance, and interaction with the European Semester.
• EU Sustainability and Decarbonisation: The EU faces challenges in setting credible and ambitious sustainability goals. The session looked at how to avoid conflicting short and long-term targets and their implications for employment and productivity.

Energy & Climate

• Digital Energy and Value Chains: The digitalisation of energy infrastructure is transforming the sector, creating new business models and challenges for stakeholders such as electricity generators and grid operators.
• Circular Economy: This concept is seen as a potential driver for EU competitiveness and job creation. The session explored whether the EU can successfully transition from a linear to a circular economic model.
• Urban Mobility Disruption: The rise of new technologies and sustainability policies is changing the transport sector. The discussion aimed to distinguish hype from reality in emerging mobility solutions.

Trade & the Single Market

• UK Trade Policy Post-Brexit: The UK must develop its own trade policy, facing challenges in negotiating with over 150 WTO partners and the EU. The session examined the feasibility of a deep and comprehensive trade agreement with the EU.
• Trade Policy in the Age of Populism: Populist movements and radical parties are increasingly influencing trade policy. The discussion focused on how to address these challenges and their impact on the EU's open economy model.
• Effective EU Trade Policy: With 38 decision-makers involved, the EU faces difficulties in achieving a unified and effective trade strategy. The session explored the tension between legitimacy and effectiveness in EU trade negotiations.

Finance

• Survival of Banks in the Digital Age: The rise of FinTech and digitalisation poses significant challenges to traditional banking models. The session discussed the risks and how policymakers can address them.
• Bail-in and Systemic Risk: The bail-in regime aims to reduce taxpayer burden by resolving banks through creditor bail-ins. The discussion focused on the credibility of this approach and its systemic implications.
• Strategic Investments and Development Banks: The European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) is being evaluated for its role in promoting investment and its interaction with other financial initiatives.

Economy

• ECB's Unconventional Policies: The ECB's measures, including quantitative easing, have had mixed results. The session debated whether it's time to implement an exit strategy and how to do so without harming economic growth.
• EMU Governance: The reform of euro-area governance has made progress, but its effectiveness remains under scrutiny. The discussion addressed the current system and its potential shortcomings.
• Biggest Risk to EMU: The session explored the potential risks to the Eurozone, including low growth, high unemployment, and political instability, and how these might lead to a breakup.

Social Europe

• Youth Guarantee: The EU's initiative to offer employment or education to young people has shown some success, but its effectiveness and cost-efficiency are still debated.
• Relevance of Social Partners: With declining trade union membership, the role of traditional social partners in representing workers and employers is being questioned. The session discussed alternatives and the impact of new labor dynamics.
• Refugee Integration into the Labour Market: The integration of refugees is a major challenge. The discussion focused on the effectiveness of diploma and skills recognition and the need for more inclusive labor policies.

Rights & Security

• EU Asylum System: The Dublin system and its proposed reforms, including permanent relocation mechanisms, were evaluated for their effectiveness and the need for a common asylum policy.
• EU Migration Policies and Smuggling: The session examined the effectiveness of current measures against human smuggling and whether opening legal pathways is a better approach.
• Privacy Law and EU-US Tussle: The session discussed the challenges of data protection and law enforcement in the context of EU-US relations, focusing on the Privacy Shield and its implications.

Institutions and Europe in the World

• Political Commission vs. Guardian of the Treaties: The debate questioned the role of EU institutions in maintaining stability and coherence in the Union.
• Judicial Activism and EU Governance: The session explored whether judicial activism is undermining the EU's communitarian principles.
• EU-Turkey 2.0: The EU and Turkey's evolving relationship was discussed in the context of migration and regional stability.
• EU's Role in the Middle East: The session considered the EU's potential influence in stabilizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
• Brexit and the City: The impact of Brexit on financial services in London was a key topic, with discussions on whether the UK could remain in the single market.
• More Defence in a UK-less EU: The session addressed the implications of Brexit on EU defense and security strategies.

Special Sessions

• CEPS Task Force Report on EU Reform: This session presented findings on EU reform and its future direction.
• The Great Convergence: The impact of information technology on globalization was discussed.
• How United is the United States?: The session examined the internal divisions within the US and their implications for international relations.
• The Euro and the Battle of Ideas: The role of ideas in shaping the future of the Euro was a central theme.

Conclusion

The conference highlighted the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing the EU in the post-crisis era. It emphasized the need for more effective governance, stronger regulatory frameworks, and inclusive policies to address the evolving dynamics of the European Union.