Projects in progress
EU INSTITUTIONS
AND DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY
How to Better Involve
Citizens in the European Integration Process:
Evaluations and Proposals in View of the
Upcoming European Parliament Elections
(G. Bonvicini, M.
Comelli, R. Matarazzo, G.L. Tosato)
The project aimed to develop analyses and
proposals to strengthen European
democracy and renew the approach of
citizens to EU institutions in view of the
June 2009 European Parliament elections. The
project addressed four main topics: the powers
of the European Parliament; the role of
European parties; the priorities of the next
European legislature's agenda; and the
involvement of EU citizens in selecting the
new President of the EU Commission. The
research was coordinated by the IAI in
cooperation with the CSF (Turin), the Federal
Trust (London), the IEP (Berlin), Notre Europe
(Paris) and TEPSA (Brussels). A workshop held
in Turin on January 22-23, with the support
of the Institute of European Democrats (IEP)
of Brussels, discussed the preliminary results of the research. Afterwards the institute's
project members drew up a position
paper opened to endorsement by
prominent European figures. The document
was presented and debated in a conference
organized by Tepsa in Brussels. It was also widely circulated through the media.
The call
The signatories
Executive
summary of the Five Institutes’ Study
The
study: full text (IAI Quaderni-English series)
EU AS INTERNATIONAL ACTOR
Integration, Enlargement, Foreign and
Security Policy (G.Bonvicini,
M.Comelli).
This is the conclusive part of the multi-year research programme,
known as EU-CONSENT, which brought together 52 institutes and was
coordinated by the University of Cologne (Germany). IAI played a
primary role in the project: it was represented on the Executive Board,
directed the working package on "Political and security aspects of the
EU's external relations" (WP VII) as well as the new interdisciplinary
working group on "enlargement and ENP", and developed the EU-CONSENT
website (WP IX).
The part of the programme under IAI's responsibility aimed to analyse
the dynamics influencing the complex relationship between the deepening
of European integration and enlargement of the EU (also known as
'deepening' and 'widening'), particularly in the areas of CFSP and ESDP.
IAI co-organised a conference at the University of Cambridge
in April 2009 that took stock of the project’s research findings.
During the event, the IAI research group presented a study on the
dynamics of the connection between integration and enlargement,
considering the progress made by the EU as an international player
in the fields of both foreign and security policy.
The EU-CONSENT projects includes a review available on-line:
EU-27
Watch
This initiative is coordinated by the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP).
On the basis of a specially designed questionnaire, 27 member institutes
periodically present the debate underway in the EU's individual countries.
Political and security aspects in the EU's
external relations: the European Neighbourhood Policy and its
regional dimensions
(G.Bonvicini, M.Comelli)
This project, on which an IAI-directed team worked within
the EU-CONSENT framework, aimed to analyse the European
Neighbourhood Policy, with particular regard to its connections
with the enlargement policy, on the one hand, and the
European Security Strategy, on the other. Researchers
from the IAI and from the Middle East Technical University (METU)
edited a volume on the Mediterranean dimension of the European
Neighbourhood Policy, that came out in September 2009. Furthermore,
an international conference on the European Neighbourhood Policy in
the Caucasus and Black Sea region was organised in February 2009.
On that occasion, a group of researchers, academics and officials
discussed the potential and limits of European engagement in this region.
MICROCON - Conflicts
in the European Neighbourhood
(N. Tocci, N.Pirozzi, N.Mikhelidze)
This
project, which began in January 2007 and will last for five years,
is an integrated project funded by the Sixth Framework Programme of
the European Commission. Its aim is to analyse the micro causes of
ethnic conflicts (private violence, property security, gender/ethnic
discrimination, etc.). IAI leads a Work Package which seeks to relate
the micro causes of conflicts with European political processes,
particularly the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).
By studying the micro causes of five conflicts in the Neighbourhood
(Abkhazia, Transnistria, Nagorno Karabakh, Western Sahara, Palestine),
the project will analyse how ENP policies and initiatives interact
with and influence the micro causes of the conflicts, and whether
or not they contribute to the conflicts' solutions. 23 institutes
are involved in the project, which is led by the Institute of
Development Studies (United Kingdom).
The EU as a global player: institutional trends in CFSP/ESDP
(G.Bonvicini)
This is a series of seminars organised in Italy and Germany under
the leadership of the
Institut
für Europäische Politik (IEP), with the participation of the IAI.
The first
seminar on "Institutional Trends in CFSP/ESDP in the Wake
of the EU's Constitutional Crisis" took place in Rome on June 27-28, 2006,
with a background paper
"Institutional trends in CFSP/ESDP in the wake of the EU's
constitutional crisis" prepared by G. Bonvicini and E. Regelsberger.
On January 31-February 1, 2008, took palace in Berlin the
second
seminar on "ESDP under review: achievement and future
challenges" with a background paper prepared by N.Pirozzi and S.Sandawi.
The final
meeting focused on "The EU in conflict prevention and
civil-military crisis management - the quest for effectiveness
and legitimacy", took place in Turin on June 25-26, 2009.
On that occasion, the following papers were presented:
CFSP in conflict prevention and crisis diplomacy
by Elfriede Regelsberger;
Military and civilian ESDP Missions: ever growing and effective?
by Nicoletta Pirozzi and Sammi Sandawi;
Legitimacy and accountability of ESDP operations
by Michele Comelli and Flavia Zanon.
Ensuring peace and
security in Africa: Implementino a new
EU-Africa partnership (G.
Bonvicini, N. Pirozzi)
The project is aimed at assessing the European Union's possible contribution to peace and security in Africa,
focusing on the development of the African Union's security policies, conflict prevention instruments and crisis
management capabilities. It originates from a joint initiative of the IAI (Rome), the project leader,
the EU Institute for Security Studies (Paris) and Chatham House (London). African research institutions,
including the Centre de Recherches sur l'Etat en Afrique (CREA), are involved in both the research
and dissemination phases. The 18-month research project entails the organisation of a launching conference
as well as three seminars in Rome, two expert seminars in Paris and London and a final event
in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). The results of the research, including a revised version of the papers
presented at the seminars, will be brought together in a final publication.
The launching
conference has been held in Rome on 7-9 October 2009 at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The event focused on how to carry out the new partnership between Europe and Africa and on cooperation in fields
such as de-mining and disarmament. The conference has been opened by the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini,
along with Mr. Romano Prodi, the President of the AU/UN Panel on peacekeeping, and high-ranking representatives
of the EU and AU institutions. Academics and NGOs from Europe and Africa have also taken part in the event.
The project is funded by the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Compagnia di San Paolo.
EU AND MULTILATERALISM
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MERCURY - Multilateralism and the European
Union in the contemporary global order (N.
Tocci, N. Pirozzi, N.Mikhelidze) |
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MERCURY is a three-year project coordinated by the University of Edinburgh.
It aims to analyse the various forms of multilateralism and propose a definition that takes into account not only
institutional, but also normative and procedural aspects. The project
also aims to assess the European Union's possible contribution to the promotion of multilateralism through its strategies and policies towards regional
players, strategic partners and international organisations. Within the framework of
MERCURY, IAI leads Work Package V (Organised Multilateralism: The EU
as an Actor in Multilateral Fora) and takes part in Work Package III
(Multilateralism in practice: Key regions and partners). Nathalie Tocci
is a member of the project’s steering group. The kick-off meeting of t
he project took place in Edinburgh on March 12-13 2009 with the participation of IAI
researchers.
Internal
bullettin #3 (October) (pdf, 381 kb)
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The EU as a global
actor in the UN reform process (N.
Ronzitti, N. Pirozzi)
This two-year research project is focused on the role of the
European Union in the United Nations reform process, looking
both at previous efforts and at current trends.
The research is conducted together with the University of Kiel (Germany)
and entails the establishment of two working groups, composed of experts
and high-level political stakeholders, who are called upon to address the
issue of Security Council reform (Working Group I) and cooperation between
the EU and the UN in the fields of peacekeeping, peace-enforcing and
peace-building (Working Group II). The papers produced by the working groups
will be collected in a final publication and available on the
project
website. The project is financed by the Volkswagen Stiftung.
The first
meeting of WG II, coordinated by the University of Kiel, has been
held in Berlin on 8-9 October 2009.
The first meeting of WG I, coordinated by IAI, has been held in Rome on 12-13 November 2009.
On that occasion, two papers were presented by D. Hannay and
J. Van Oudenaren and a policy paper was prepared by E. Martini.
Policy paper by E. Martini
Programme
Conference paper by D. Hannay
Conference paper by J. Van Oudenaren
Report
Images
Italy in EU civilian missions. Perspectives and shortfalls
(G. Bonvicini, N. Pirozzi)
This project, which is conducted in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to analyse the issue of Italian participation in ESDP civilian missions, also in view of elaborating a comprehensive Italian strategy for civilian crisis management. The main themes addressed are: training and recruitment of civilian personnel, lessons learned and effectiveness of ESDP civilian missions, reform proposals for national legislation in this field. A seminar will be held at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 4-5 2009: it will involve representatives from EU and Italian institutions, national administrations, civil society and the scientific community. A series of studies, which will be presented at the seminar by Italian and international experts, will be collected in a final publication. The project is financed by
Compagnia di San Paolo (Turin) and IED (Brussels).
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