2019年-CEPS欧洲政策研究中心_Europes_Choice_2页_298kb

CEPS Ideas Lab 2019 Summary

Event Overview

The CEPS Ideas Lab 2019, titled "Europe's Choice", took place over two days, 21 and 22 February 2019, at The Egg, Rue Bara 175, 1070 Brussels. The event was a comprehensive platform for discussing key challenges and opportunities facing the European Union, featuring a mix of formal sessions, informal networking, and special talks.

Core Content

The Ideas Lab covered a wide range of topics, focusing on digital transformation, economic policy, social issues, security, and the EU's role in the global arena. The discussions aimed to explore how the EU can address emerging challenges, leverage opportunities, and shape its future direction in a rapidly changing world.

Main Sessions and Topics

Day 1: 21 February 2019

• Registration and Opening (10h30 - 11h00)

• Warm-up Session: Citizens' Views on the EU and Voting Behavior (11h00 - 12h15)

• Light Networking Lunch (12h15 - 13h00)

• Official Welcome and Introduction by Joaquin Almunia (13h00 - 13h05)

• Opening Plenary: Debate on Becoming President of the European Commission (13h05 - 14h30)

  • Participants included Spitzenkandidaten (leading candidates for the European Commission presidency), discussing their visions for the EU's future.

• Session 1 (14h30 - 15h45)

  • Digital Economy, Regulation and Innovation: Europe's chance to lead on Artificial Intelligence.
  • Energy: Climate & Trade - Time to look at it again?
  • Trade: Will the U.S.-China trade war go global?
  • Finance: Can Europe withstand U.S. financial sanctions against Iran?
  • Economy: Is the ECB finally returning to standard policies?
  • Social Europe: Will #MeToo shake up Europe's labour markets?
  • Rights and Security: Disinformation campaigns and political participation of EU citizens.
  • Institutions: What comes after "the Commission of the last chance"?
  • Europe in the World: Can the EU and Russia make up in their contested neighbourhood?
  • UK & the EU: Europe's capital markets post-Brexit: A call for Union.
  • Agriculture & Food: How to regulate 'Unfair Trading Practices' (UTPs)?

• Chill Out (15h45 - 16h15)

• Session 2 (16h15 - 17h30)

  • Digital and Taxation: Towards a global consensus?
  • European Battery Alliance: Industrial renaissance or waste of money?
  • Investment and National Security: EU, U.S., and China.
  • Capital Markets: Europe's anemic capital market: Need for public finance support?
  • Inequality: Rising inequality in Europe: Myth or reality?
  • Depopulation: Counteracting depopulation.
  • E-evidence: A new tool to counter cross-border crime?
  • European Parliament: Balance of forces in the next Parliament.
  • Syria Reconstruction: Europe's role in the reconstruction of Syria.
  • UK-EU Trade Relations: The Future of UK-EU Trade Relations.
  • CAP and Paris Agreement: A sustainable CAP after Brexit and the Paris Agreement?

• Networking Cocktail & Special Sessions (Break)

• Special Session (17h45 - 19h00)

  • How Europe can help stop corruption in the Western Balkans and Eastern neighbourhood (session with ENGAGE Fellows).
  • Food for Thought: The Globotics Upheaval by Richard Baldwin.
  • Food for Thought: Europe's "Hidden Treasures" - How should the next Commission use them?

• Walking Dinner (19h00 - 21h30)

Day 2: 22 February 2019

• Breakfast Sessions (8h15 - 9h00)

  • Making Migration Regular
  • Is Europe succeeding in digital trade? (Bertelesmann Stiftung)
  • Technology and the Future of Work with MIT's Nicholas Ashford.
  • EU's Relations to the Neighbours of its Neighbours: Russia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia.
  • Made in China 2025: Will it succeed in giving Beijing global economic leadership?

• Session 3 (9h15 - 10h30)

  • Cyber Security: Can Europe defend itself from cyber-hacks and deep fakes?
  • Energy: Can Europe return to low electricity prices again?
  • Trade: Will the EU save the WTO?
  • Banking Union: Completing the Banking Union: A never-ending story?
  • Productivity Growth: How to revive European productivity growth?
  • Social Europe: Is social Europe working?
  • Rights and Security: Heroes or criminals? A crackdown on civil society assistance to asylum seekers.
  • Citizens' Participation: How to increase citizens' participation in Europe?
  • Mediterranean Role: A new role for the EU in the Mediterranean?
  • EU-UK Cooperation: Can we trust each other? EU-UK security & criminal justice cooperation after Brexit.
  • Eurozone Stability: Convergence and stabilisation in the Eurozone.

• Chill Out (10h30 - 11h00)

• Prime Talks (11h00 - 12h15)

  • EU Budget Post-Brexit: Will it fit the challenges of the 21st century?
  • Refugee Crisis: Three years after the refugee crisis: Have Europe's priorities shifted?
  • Central and Eastern Europe: Explaining the new politics of Central and Eastern Europe.
  • Transatlantic Relations: Are transatlantic divisions passing or fatal?
  • Rule of Law: Protecting the Rule of Law: What's in the EU arsenal?
  • EU-Africa Migration Partnerships: What balance between migration management and economic development?

• 2nd Plenary (12h30 - 13h30)

  • Towards a Europe of Values at the Sibiu Summit?

• Food Lab (13h30 - 14h30)

• Academic Lecture (14h45 - 16h15)

  • The Populist Temptation: Economic grievance and political reaction in the modern era by Barry Eichengreen.

Key Themes and Views

• Digital Transformation: Discussions focused on the EU's potential to lead in AI, digital trade, and cybersecurity.
• Economic Policy: Topics included the ECB's policies, the EU's capital markets, and the need for public finance support.
• Social Europe: The impact of movements like #MeToo on labor markets and the effectiveness of social policies.
• Security and Rights: Concerns about disinformation, cross-border crime, and EU-UK cooperation post-Brexit.
• Institutional Challenges: The need for reform and a new balance of power in the EU.
• Global Role: The EU's position in global trade, migration, and geopolitical relations.
• Sustainability and Innovation: The future of the CAP, the European Battery Alliance, and the fight against inequality and depopulation.

Conclusion

The CEPS Ideas Lab 2019 provided a rich and diverse platform for debate and discussion on the EU's future. It emphasized the importance of addressing both internal and external challenges, including digital innovation, economic stability, social cohesion, and geopolitical relations. The event highlighted the need for a more inclusive and values-driven Europe, capable of navigating the complexities of the 21st century.