The IEP organises "Lunch Debates" on key topics of the current agenda of European politics. It invites distinguished speakers and other experts from academia, government and administration of member states and EU institutions to talk about challenges and perspectives of European integration. These issues are discussed in a forum where people interested in the development of European integration from academia, politics, media, pressure groups, embassies and non-governmental organisations meet. Through its lunch debates the IEP fulfils one of its major aims as think tank to promote the discourse on EU topics and encourage exchange between policy-makers, academics, journalists and citizens.
Lunch debates 2012
Editors Prof. Dr. Tanja A. Börzel, Director of the Center for European Integration and head of the Kolleg-Forschergruppe (KFG) „The Transformative Power of Europe”, Freie Universität Berlin, and Dr. Katrin Böttger, Deputy Director and Director of the research project „The EU’s policy towards Eastern Europe and Central Asia – A key role for Germany“, Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), Berlin, presented their edited volume entitled „Policy Change in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood: A sectoral approach“ on 7 June, 2012. The presentation took place in the European House in Berlin, within the framework of an IEP Lunch Debate. Marzenna...[more]
On 2 May 2012, Doris Pack, Chairwoman of the Committee for Culture and Education and a member of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo, discussed the numerous challenges of EU integration both individual Balkan countries as well as the region as a whole are facing in an IEP lunch debate entitled “Perspectives on Stabilization and Integration of the Western Balkan States.” Pack emphasized that EU involvement in the area should not be viewed as exclusively altruistic, as a stable southeastern Europe will present much less of a threat to the EU than one festering...[more]
At the IEP lunch debate on 26 April 2012, Elmar Brok, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, spoke on the internal and external challenges of Europe’s future. Brok focussed in particular on Europe’s responsibility to formulate financial and political strategies perpetuating Europe’s stability. In the context of the debt crisis, he appealed for more solidarity to be incorporated into European solution strategies, defined by two key factors: First, Europe must not withdraw from its responsibility to spread and grow common European goals. Consistency in European domestic affairs is needed now more than ever,...[more]
Dr. Andreas Schockenhoff, deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group of the German Bundestag and chairman of the German-French Parliamentary Friendship Group, spoke about “Germany and France as the old and new core of Europe” at an IEP lunch debate on 23 April 2012. He stressed the significance of Germany and France with regard to the European integration process, even in a union of 27 member states. He added however, that this core needed to find additional partners for an enhanced cooperation to further develop the integration project. Concerning the preceding French election campaign, Schockenhoff pointed out that European topics...[more]
