The EU and the Global Development Framework. A Strategic Approach to the 2030 Agenda, by Bernardo Venturi and Miryam Magro (Documenti IAI 16|05) March 2016, 10 p.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda adopted by world leaders in September 2015 are calling on the EU to redefine its approach to development cooperation in the framework of the new EU Global Strategy. This phase is an opportunity to include development cooperation in a strategy of external action and to integrate internal resilience with all the aspects of external action. This conference brought together policy-makers and experts from both academia and civil society to discuss these challenges and opportunities. The three sessions were focused on: the 2030 Agenda and the new global governance for development; the European Union’s global action and local engagement; food security, stability and crisis prevention in the 2030 Agenda. Summary report of the conference “The EU and the Global Development Framework. A Strategic Approach to the 2030 Agenda” held in Rome on 7 March 2016. The conference was organised in the framework of the review of the EU Global Strategy by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in cooperation with the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Compagnia di San Paolo, with the contribution of Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM).
Italy and the Reform of the European Economic Governance (original: L’Italia e la riforma della governance europea), by Fabrizio Saccomanni (Documenti IAI 16|04) March 2016, 6 p.
A Shared European Policy Strategy for Growth, Jobs, and Stability, the document prepared by the Italian Minister of Economy and Finances, Pier Carlo Padoan, in late February, makes an important contribution to the debate on the reform of European governance from political, analytical and procedural points of view. In this paper, the author examines some of the main issues raised by Padoan’s document from these three angles. The author broadly agrees with the document’s approach and thesis, but notes that it could have been more precise in formulating specific proposals for correcting the course of Europe’s “policy mix.”
The Spitzenkandidaten procedure: Reflecting on the Future of an Electoral Experiment, by Johannes Müller Gómez and Wolfgang Wessels (IAI Working Papers 16|08) March 2016, 25 p.
The 2014 European Parliament (EP) elections introduced a novel procedure to elect the President of the European Commission: the so-called Spitzenkandidaten, i.e. pan-European lead candidates nominated by the European political parties. The two main purposes behind this innovation were to mobilise the electorate and to strengthen the EP. The first use of the Spitzenkandidaten model established a new modus operandi of the EP at the expense of the European Council, which now has to appoint the lead candidate whose party won most seats in the European elections. However, it also contributed to polarising citizens’ attitudes towards the EU and did not overcome the tendency to compete in European elections on purely national issues. Future adjustments of the Spitzenkandidaten procedure should aim to improve the EU’s responsiveness and make the elections more European. Introducing primaries for the nominations of the Spitzenkandidaten could be a first step, eventually leading to the direct election of the Commission President.
Brexit or No Brexit? Political and Institutional Implications of an EU without UK, by Funda Tekin, (IAI Working paper 16|07) March 2016, 23 p.
The United Kingdom will vote on its fate within the European Union on 23 June 2016. Currently, there is still time to influence the outcome of this referendum – both from the UK and the EU side. The effects of a Brexit need to be closely assessed and communicated. This paper sets out to analyse the implications of different scenarios for Britain’s European future both in institutional and political terms. The main argument is that one way or the other the UK will be inclined to give up on its full membership, and then the EU will have to find the best possible ways to accommodate. Against this backdrop, this paper discusses the implications of differentiated integration, the UK’s role within the EU, British demands for renegotiating its EU membership, and the costs of keeping the UK within the EU or letting it go. The paper recommends agreeing on as much compromise as possible within the existing treaty framework. A Brexit cannot and will not solve current pressing problems of European integration.
Energy Union Watch (December 2015-February 2016), by Nicoló Sartori and Lorenzo Colantoni, No. 3, February 2016
The third issue of IAI’s quarterly bulletin, Energy Union Watch, is now available with a focus on security and best practices in the realm of gas procurement.