Projects in progress
EU INSTITUTIONS
AND DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY
How to Enhance European citizens’ participation in the European Integration
(G. Bonvicini, M.Comelli, R.Matarazzo G.L. Tosato)
This project follows up the research project on European democracy, launched in early 2009,
before the European Parliament elections, by the IAI, in co-operation with Notre Europe (Paris)
and the Centro Studi sul Federalismo (Turin). It analyses the Lisbon Treaty provisions aimed
at confronting the problem of the so-called democratic deficit of the EU,
and whose implementation will hopefully result in a broader involvement
of European citizens in the integration process. The research project will focus
not only on the new powers of the European Parliament, but also on the role and potential
of European political parties, the role of national parliaments in the
EU decision-making process and the new Citizen’s Initiative.
A seminar will be held in Turin in November 2010 in the framework of the project.
Future prospects for the EU budget
(G.Bonvicini, M.Comelli, R.Matarazzo)
In the last two years, the IAI has carried out studies on this topic,
resulting in seminars and two publications, one in Italian in the Quaderni IAI
and one in English in The International Spectator. In particular, these studies
thoroughly analyse the Italian government’s position on this issue in view of
the negotiations on the next EU budget (financial perspectives 2014-2020).
Following the formation of the new European Commission in early 2010,
the negotiations among EU member states will enter their most important phase.
Therefore, it is the intention of the IAI, under the leadership of Notre Europe
and with the co-operation of the Centro Studi sul Federalismo (Turin) and the
European University Institute (Florence), to focus on some of the crucial aspects
of the future EU budget. The research project also aims at putting forward new
proposals designed to give substance to the role that the EU plans to play with
regard to the economy and the internal market and also as an international actor
in the economic and security areas. A seminar, based on some preparatory studies,
will be held in Turin.
Democratic control of the Common Foreign and Security Policy
(CFSP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
(G.Bonvicini, M.Comelli)
The project aims to analyze the issue of democratic control of both the
Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP),
in the light of the most recent political developments, such as the decision to terminate
the Western European Union (WEU) and its Parliamentary Assembly and in consideration
of the innovations that the Lisbon Treaty has brought about in this sector.
A special focus will be on the increased powers of the European Parliament
in foreign and security policy. The project, which follows up from a seminar
held in Turin in June 2009, intends to spot whether there is a trend towards
increased parliamentary control of CFSP and CSDP and the level at which this
controlshould be located (national, transnational, EU). Furthermore, the project
aims to put forward proposals to create ad hoc instruments and procedures
to enhance this control, above all at the EU level. The most salient part
of the project will be a seminar that will be organized on the premises of
the European Parliament in Brussels in November 2010, in cooperation with
the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA). The seminar, which
will see the participation of researchers, academics and representatives
from the EU institutions, will feature the presentation and discussion
of a number of papers that will subsequently be brought together in an
English language publication.
EU AS INTERNATIONAL ACTOR
EU-27 Watch
The new issue of the EU-27 Watch - including Italy's report
written by IAI - is now available at: www.EU-27Watch.org.
This website is the new platform which presents all issues of the EU-27 Watch and its predecessors. This means that the
EU-27 Watch
is not only a comprehensive PDF file, but also a platform that makes the country reports more accessible. All the contributions can be sorted by country or by question. In addition, the timeline gives an overview of the European political environment since 2004.
Political and security aspects in the EU’s external relations:
the European Neighbourhood Policy and its regional dimensions
(G.Bonvicini, M.Comelli)
A team led by the IAI within the framework of the EU-Consent project
aims to analyze the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP),
with a special focus on its connections with enlargement policy and with the European Security Strategy (ESS).
As a part of this project, a group of researchers from the IAI
and the Middle East Technical University (METU) edited a book on
the ENP and the Mediterranean,
which came out in July 2009. Furthermore, an international conference on the
ENP and the Black Sea and Caucasus region was organized by the IAI in Rome in February 2009.
A number of researchers, academics and officials discussed the potential and the
limitations of the EU’s involvement in these regions.
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.). 23 institutes are involved in the project,
which is led by the Institute of Development Studies (United Kingdom). IAI as a
leader of the WP11 seeks to explore the role of the EU in conflicts at the mid-
and micro-levels by engaging with local civil societies, as well as to identify
how the complementarity between the EU and local civil societies could be
strengthened at the service of conflict transformation. These issues are tackled
by analysing five case studies in the European eastern and southern neighbourhoods:
Georgia/Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Israel/Palestine and Western Sahara.
Through the comparative examination of these cases, the research study will draw
policy guidelines tailored to governmental and non-governmental action.
In the framework of the WP11 the following papers were carried out:
Ensuring peace and security in Africa:
Implementing 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 organization 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 was held in Rome on October 7-9 2009 at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event focused on how to establish the new partnership between Europe and Africa and on cooperation in fields such as de-mining and disarmament. The conference was opened by the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, along with Mr. Romano Prodi, the President of the AU/UN Panel on peace keeping, and high-ranking representatives of EU and AU institutions. Academics and NGOs from Europe and Africa also took 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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EU4Seas: the European Union and
sub-regional multilateralism in the European sea basins (M.Comelli,
N.Mikhelidze)
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This new research program intends to analyze the effects of European strategies and policies in the four "European" sea basins: the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. This three-year project, begun in January 2009, brings together eight institutes and is coordinated by the Fundació Centre Internacional de Documentació of Barcelona (CIDOB). The aim is to determine whether or not European policies (enlargement, neighbourhood, partnership, etc.) are consistent with the objective of promoting multilateralism at a regional and sub-regional level. The project intends to draw up recommendations to improve the synergy between the European Union and the regional and sub-regional integration initiatives in these areas. A workshop on the political and security aspects of sub-regional cooperation in European sea basins was held in Rome in April 2009. The IAI conducted field research on sub-regional co-operation in the Mediterranean in Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon and Libya. The IAI is the leader of Work Package 2 (Politics and Security), and Michele Comelli is a member of the project’s Steering Committee.
Programme
Report
Images
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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 analyze 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 organizations. Within the framework of MERCURY, IAI leads Work Package V (Organized 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 the 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) |
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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, was held in Berlin on October 8-9, 2009.
The first meeting of WG I, coordinated by IAI, was held in Rome on November 12-13, 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
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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, was held in Berlin on October 8-9, 2009.
The first meeting of WG I, coordinated by IAI, was held in Rome on November 12-13, 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 analyze the issue of Italian participation in ESDP civilian missions, also in view of working out a comprehensive Italian strategy for civilian crisis management. The main topics addressed are: training and recruitment of civilian personnel, lessons learned and effectiveness of ESDP civilian missions, and reform proposals for national legislation in this field. A seminar was held at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 4-5, 2009. It involved representatives from EU and Italian institutions, national administrations, civil society and the scientific community. A series of studies, 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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