Europe – the Final Countdown or Resurrection Time? Reclaiming the European Project

copyright by http://fr.toonpool.com/cartoons/eurosceptic_5216#img9
DOSSIER
Ever since the outburst of the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone in 2011 the European Union makes the impression of a punch-drunk boxer just before the knock-out. Is the once great European project down for the count? The dossier ‘Europe – the final countdown or resurrection time?’ will provide an insight into the feelings and ideas which are held towards Europe by elites and (other) citizens in a wide selection of EU Member States. The European Union office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung has asked politicians, journalists, writers and other intellectuals in more than a dozen countries to describe what they and the people in their countries feel and think about Europe, whether from their perspectives there is a chance to resurrect and reclaim the European project and what would be the main changes necessary to succeed. more...

Euro Crisis Blog

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Croatia

 Copyright Josip Gamberožić
DOSSIER
Spotlight on Croatia
  If  its accession will be ratified by all 27 EU-Member States, Croatia will enter the European Union on 1 July 2013 as its 28th Member State. When Croatia started negotiating its membership six years ago, the enthusiasm was great. In the meantime, things have changed. The European Union is in crisis and inside the EU it is feared that with Croatia another ‘Greece’ will be taken aboard, whereas many Croats (of whom many share that assessment) are afraid to climb aboard a sinking ship. What do Croatians think, hope and fear in light of the approaching EU-Membership. Read more...
Impressions from Place du Luxembourg, Brussels
Global Wind Day 2011
Global Wind Day is a worldwide event that occurs annually on 15 June. It is a day for promoting wind, its power and the possibilities it holds to change our world. More information on http://www.globalwindday.org/.
 
 
© EWEA/Bickley

FUKUSHIMA

Satellite image of Dai-ichi Power Plant Japan, taken on March 14, 2011, 3 minutes after an explosion. CC-licence, DigitalGlobe-Imagery / DigitalGlobe 
Dossier
Perceptions of the Fukushima disaster in Europe
We are witnessing a new nuclear tragedy as the crew at the Fukushima nuclear power plant battles desperately to avert a major catastrophe. While the full extent of the disaster and its long term damage will remain unclear for some time to come, this dossier gathers snap-shots of how Fukushima is perceived in the different European countries. How do the people, the media and politics react to and deal with the events? And in what way and to what extent does it affect discussions about the future of nuclear power? Dossier

European Union Council 2011 Presidencies

Photos by Kat Doddrockcohen and Kpalion.
DOSSIER
Hungarian and Polish Presidencies of the European Union
After Slovenia, in 2008, and the Czech Republic in 2009, Hungary will be the third ex-communist country to take on the rotating presidency of the European Union, followed by Poland on 1 July. This will be the first time two member states with a communist past will succeed each other at the helm of the European Union. The Hungarian presidency couldn’t have happened at a worse moment: Viktor Orbán’s new restrictive law on media has been severely criticised by many EU member states, including Germany and the UK and the Hungarians can expect to be under close scrutiny of the European Parliament. The main challenge of the Hungarian presidency whose slogan is “A strong Europe“ will be to deal with the crisis in the Eurozone, for which it seems ill equipped as the country does not use the single currency. Other main tasks will be the launch of the complicated negotiations for the multi-annual budget EU (2014-2020), a solution to the problem of Roma integration, an area in which Hungary itself has not the best of reputations, as well as giving an impulse to the Eastern Partnership and Croatia’s EU accession process. Will Hungary be able to do justice to its role at the helm of the EU? What problems will be left for the Poles who will come well-prepared but are facing elections in the middle of their presidency term? Dossier

EUROZONE

The European Central Bank in Frankfurt. Photo: Crivin's under CC License.
DOSSIER
Is there a future for the eurozone?
Many a swansong on the euro and the eurozone has been sung during the last months. Some economists and politicians prophesy an end of the euro(zone) and plead for the reintroduction of national currencies (or, at least for a split of the Eurozone allowing the weaker countries to devaluate their currencies which, in turn, could boost their exports). But, also, many European citizens (especially of economically stronger countries) want to get rid of the euro and of the discipline of the eurozone they blame for hard-hitting cutbacks. They want „their own money back“ and they resent making sacrifices for their weaker and „wasteful“ European brothers and sisters. For some the end of the eurozone and even the European Union is nearby. In the meantime, Estonia has happily entered the eurozone and European leaders and ministers of finance quarrel passionately and work hard to find a solution. Often in the past, Europe was at its best and most creative under the most difficult and threatening circumstances. Will the euro(zone) survive? Are the measures taken so far the right ones and what else needs to be done? Dossier

Energy

EXPERT MEETING

Europeanisation of Renewables

May 3, 2012 -
To shift towards renewable energy sources we must show that the European electricity demand can be covered with renewables in a reliable and cost-effective way. The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU Office has initiated a series of expert meetings to work on long-term approaches towards European governance structures for renewable energy in two key areas: grids and support schemes for renewables.
  more»
Manic Street Preacher, Flickr under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 License

ARTICLE

Transatlantic Tar Sand Storms: Lobbying and Dirty Oil are Canada’s New Exports

- In its tar sands, Canada has the biggest oil reserves worldwide after Saudi Arabia. While delaying climate action at home, the Canadian government is undermining international efforts in fighting climate change.  Low carbon fuel standards in the EU and California or the denial to build the Keystone XL pipeline through the US would be a major setback for Canada’s export of oil from tar sands. Eva Zschirnt and Arne Jungjohann

ARTICLE

How Germany Became Europe’s Green Leader

- This article examines how German environmental policymaking over the last 40 years transformed Europe’s economic engine into the international driver of green growth Ralph Buehler, Arne Jungjohann, Melissa Keeley, Michael Mehling more»

DOSSIER

Heliosthana 2020

- The virtual Mediterranean nation Heliosthana was launched on 11th May 2010 by WWF and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, at the Spanish EU Presidency conference on the Mediterranean solar plan in Valencia.
Heliosthana is built upon realistic solutions that pave the way towards 100% renewable energy and that are immediately applicable in many Mediterranean countries.
This dossier provides all documents relating to the Heliosthana 2020 project more»

Interview

Interview with Mycle Schneider on the future of nuclear energy

- At the recent photo exhibition in Brussels to mark the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl, GEF spoke with independent nuclear consultant Mycle Schneider in a wide ranging interview which addressed issues such as the fallout from Fukushima, the recent u-turn by the German Government and the future for nuclear energy in countries such as China and the US. more»
Publication Myths of Nuclear Power

Publication

Myth of Nuclear Power - A Guide

- Some lobbyists and politicians carry on the myth that nuclear power is reliable, secure, and a source of unbeatable energy. The newest myth paints nuclear power as the necessary bridging technology to the solar age - in Europe and around the world. To address the myths of nuclear power, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung has commissioned renowned international nuclear experts to deliver reports that provide the public with an overview of current, fact-rich, and nuclear-critical know-how more»

EXHIBITION

The Street of Enthusiasts

- Marking the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the exhibition explores the history of creation, development and fall of the city of Pripyat, built by and for the workers and employees of the Chernobyl power plant. The photos of Robert Polidori, Andrey Kremenchuk and Serhiy Nekhayev, Soviet posters as well as eco-posters of Kharkiv “4th Block” and Lina Kostenko’s poetry trace different dimensions of the disaster in the context of unrestricted fascination and belief in progress as well as in “enthusiastic industrialisation”. more»

Speech

The Future of E-mobility

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The German Embassy and The Representative of German Industry and Trade hosted a conference on electro-mobility in Washington, D.C. on March 30. Our president Ralf Fücks held the keynote speech, hilighting the development of the electric car industry on both sides of the Atlantic. Ralf Fücks

more»

Publication

Safe clean energy future unfolds on virtual Heliosthana

- A how-to guide for a safe clean energy future, based around the virtual Mediterranean nation Heliosthana was launched on 11th May 2010 by WWF and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (hbs), at the Spanish EU Presidency conference on the Mediterranean Solar Plan in Valencia. more»

Publications

PUBLICATION

Going Green: Chemicals Fields of action for a resource-efficient chemical industry

May 3, 2012 -
The chemical industry is extremely important for Germany. For many, however, the chemical industry is also associated with environmental pollution, high risks and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, we need the industry’s innovative power to solve the major problems of our time, including climate change and the resource crisis. Chemical products, for instance, help insulate buildings, generate solar power and build cleaner cars. The study Going Green: Chemicals describes the changes needed in the chemical industry in Germany and the European Union in order to meet environmental and climate protection targets while, at the same time, remaining competitive.
Uwe Lahl and Barbara Zeschmar-Lahl more»

REPORT

Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict. Addressing Complex Crisis Scenarios in the 21st Century
Michael Werz and Laura Conley more»

Article

Growth of Limits

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Nearly 40 years after the famous study by the Club of Rome entitled Limits to Growth, our unease about economic growth is returning. The nuclear disaster in Japan has also raised the question of whether the danger at which industrial society puts itself requires radical change. On the road to ecological modernity, is prosperity possible without having to destroy the basis of our livelihood? Ralf Fücks

more»

Democracy & Development

REPORT

Strategy Meeting Report: IV Conference on Feminicide - No More Killing of Women! Time to Put Words into Action

Feminicide, the most extreme form of violence against women, is generally linked to discrimination, poverty and patriarchal cultures. It takes place within a context of total impunity and particularly affects many Latin American states. The main task of the Strategy Meeting that followed the fourth conference on feminicide in the European Parliament on 3 March 2011 was to define concrete activities to be undertaken in the period before the next EU and Latin American and Caribbean Summit that will take place in Santiago de Chile in June 2012.  

more»
Daily Life in Kabul

DOSSIER

Afghanistan 2011 - 10 Years of International Engagement

- After ten years of international involvement in Afghanistan, a second conference will take place in Bonn this December 2011 to discuss the country’s future. Since 2002, the Heinrich Böll Foundation has actively supported the development of civil society in Afghanistan and has promoted exchanges between the German and Afghan public. The following dossier provides a venue for comments, analysis and debate ahead of the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan. more»
Peaceful protest in front of the steps of the Brussels Stock Exchange

PRESS RELEASE

Action in Solidarity with Victims of Belarus Bombing

- April 20, 2011 - About 15 young Russians and Belarusians unfurled their banners in Brussels calling for a fair and open investigation into the explosion of April 11, 2011 at a central Minsk metro station, which killed 13 and injured more than 200 people. more»

DECLARATION

NO MORE KILLING OF WOMEN! TIME TO PUT WORDS INTO ACTION: Declaration of the IV Conference on Feminicide European Parliament, 3 March 2011

-  On 3 March 2011 the fourth Conference on Feminicide took place in the European Parliament (EP) following the EP resolution on the murder of women (feminicide) in Mexico and Central America and the role of the European Union (EU) in fighting the phenomenon (2007/2025(INI)) adopted in October 2007. The conference took the opportunity to assess the current situation in Latin America and the implications of EU policies in this regard, and to formulate demands for concrete measures to be taken by EU institutions that are required to tackle feminicide in an effective and coherent manner. more»
Cobar Mining Field in New South Wales

FACTSHEET

Is the Raw Material Initiative in line with the EU Policy Coherence for Development?

- All around the world, mining has led to resettlements of the local population, drinking water contamination by cyanide spillages, large reduction of farmland, inadequate compensation paid by mining companies, and waste dumps near resettled villages result in health problems and the loss of traditional jobs such as agriculture and pastoral activities at the place of extraction. Several paragraphs of the European Parliament resolution of 18 May 2010 on the “EU Policy Coherence for Development and the Official Development Assistance plus” concept are undermined by the European Commission's Raw Material Initiative. 

Johanna Sydow more»

Analysis of the EU Raw Materials Initiative

- February 4, 2011 - On 2 February 2011, the European Commission presented an update to its Raw Materials Strategy from 2008. What are the practical implications of this European strategy, especially for resource rich developing countries around the world? Johanna Sydow, Lili Fuhr, Ute Straub more»

Comment

WikiLeaks' Promise to Democracy

- Having power does something to people. They get full of hubris; they forget who they are supposed to represent; they start exercising their power behind closed doors and they become arrogant in a way that is both unbecoming and potentially dangerous. This is one of the things that WikiLeaks counteracts. A comment by Christian Engström more»

Climate Change

DISCUSSION PAPER

European Climate Leadership – Durban and beyond

The expectations for the 2011 climate conference in Durban were extremely low, as countries were dealing with a deepening economic crisis. Yet, an agreement was reached that some called a triumph for European climate diplomacy. This is noteworthy as European climate leadership had increasingly been called into question after the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009. The EU’s diplomatic alignment with small island states and least developed countries proved crucial for reaching the final agreement now known as the Durban Platform. Hans JH Verolme more»

REPORT

Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict. Addressing Complex Crisis Scenarios in the 21st Century
Michael Werz and Laura Conley more»

POLICY PAPER

COP 17 in Durban: A Largely Empty Package

- With negotiation time extended for more than 30 hours, the South African Presidency was able to conclude the climate summit in Durban with a "Durban Package" of measures. However, while agreement was reached - barely - many key issues remained unresolved, making the COP17 results  in many respects "a largely empty package". By Lili Fuhr, Liane Schalatek and Kulthoum Omari more»

POLICY PAPER

A Future for International Climate Politics

- November 24, 2011 - Two years after the Copenhagen summit, the real world is moving away from a safe and equitable climate future faster than ever. If the G-20 is “the premier forum for international economic development” and we are serious about stopping climate change, we have to ensure that G-20 politics do not undermine our objectives for the climate, the environment, poverty eradica-tion, and global justice.  Lili Fuhr and Barbara Unmüßig more»

EVENT

European Union Green Jobs Tour 2011

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In co-operation with the BlueGreen Alliance, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung’s Climate Network brought eight representatives of labour unions and environmental organisations on a green-jobs focused tour to Europe from September 26 to October 5, 2011.

more»

DOSSIER

Reaching Boiling Point? Global Perspectives on the 2011 UN Climate Summit

-  South Africa plays host to the next UN climate conference in Durban from November 28 to December 9, 2011. This dossier provides an analysis of the major issues at stake and the context in which the negotiations will be held. It offers ongoing commentary and updates on major developments in the run up to the negotiations. more»
Cover hbf publication COP 16

Analysis

Climate Policy in 2010: One Step Forward and Two Sideward

- February 6, 2011 - The year 2010 offered mixed results concerning global climate policy, with serious setbacks as well as some small victories. Find more in the Regional Analysis of Climate Policy in 2010 and the Cancun Climate Conference (COP 16) more»

European Union

ARTICLE

Why the Green New Deal is a response to the European debt crisis

- The global economic crisis has not been overcome; its character has merely changed. For us parliamentarians, its most tangible characteristic is the smoldering debt crisis in some Euro countries. Similar to the crisis in the banking sector, the European government debt crisis is typical of a large-scale financial crisis, the "Second Great Depression," and managing it has to be addressed in this context. Dr. Gerhard Schick, MP more»
Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy

COMMENT

What's left of EU Economic Governance after the Merkel-Sarkozy putsch?

- After months of proposals and negotiations behind closed doors the efforts of the European Commission to improve and make more effective existing rules regarding the debt and deficit levels in the Eurozone seem to have been thwarted by the Herman van Rompuy task force, i.e. Member States in disguise. The usually stringent German Chancellor Merkel has joined the French President Sarkozy in watering down the Commission’s proposals. At the European Council meeting the heads of governments have decided for a permanent crisis mechanism and have agreed to limited treaty change. How will this new mechanism work in practice and what are the concerns? Yazgülü Zeybek more»

Foreign and Security Policy

ARTICLE

Belarus Between Round Table and Rapid Reaction Force

A round table for Belarus? A wonderful idea. Who wouldn’t like to see the estate of an Eastern dictator be set in order at history’s most famous piece of furniture? But the rounds for hope are nonexistent when the suggestion comes from Alexander Lukashenko, the despot in power for the last 17 years. 

Werner Schulz more»
The EU and Eastern Partnership Countries

ARTICLE

Eastern Promises: Supporting Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership Countries

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The experience of the post-Soviet countries shows that civil society (CS) plays an important role in democratisation and institutional (governance) reforms, which are central to the EU agenda in its relat ions with the Eastern Partnership countries. Howe ver, the effectiveness of EU sup port has been limited so far by factors such as the incoherence of EU policy which can be seen in the insufficient coordination of assistance activities carried out by EU institutions and the Member States as well as bureaucratic obstacles, making it difficult for social partners from the recipient countries to use the support.

Elzbieta Kaca and Piotr Kazmierkiewicz more»

Article

Europe's New Diplomats - An initial appraisal of the creation of the European External Action Service

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After months of negotiations, the European Parliament and the EU Council finally gave the go-ahead in October for the creation of the European External Action Service. As a result, the new service can start work on 1 December 2010, drawing on around 3 700 staff and 135 embassies worldwide. The EEAS is one of the most important institutional reforms provided for by the Treaty of Lisbon. Existing but fragmented EU structures will be reformed, enhanced and brought together under the EEAS's umbrella. By Franziska Brantner

more»
Portrait Baroness Ashton

ARTICLE

The EEAS is taking shape

- On 17 November 2010 the European Union Office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung organised a lunch debate on The European External Action Service: Added Value or just a “28th Foreign Ministry”? Speakers were Poul-Skytte Christoffersen, Ambassador, Special Advisor to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Franziska Brantner, MEP, Greens and Anne Schmidt, Researcher, Brussels Office of Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Eberhard Rhein, former chef de cabinet to the Commission VP in charge of external relations and director responsible for the Mediterranean and Arab world, currently advisor to the European Policy Centre gives his own personal summary. Eberhard Rhein more»
Picture of Peter Skerry

Article

American Culture and the Muslim World

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When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, expectations were raised for a new political era.  At home, many Americans hoped for an end to political polarization and the so-called culture wars.  Abroad, millions more looked forward to America’s recommitment to engagement and consultation with the rest of the world.  As the 2010 congressional elections approach and the midpoint of Obama’s four-year term looms, it is a good time to reassess such expectations.  Are they on the way to being realized?  And if not, why not? By Peter Skerry

more»
Cover Publication Birds Blue Sky

PUBLICATION

Recommendations for EU security policy based on peace building experience from countries formed by the disintegration of Yugoslavia

- The countries formed after the disintegration of Yugoslavia need to be aware of their potential to enrich the European Union by making their own contribution. In this sense, paradoxically, the negative experience of war becomes an opportunity to embed their direct peace building experiences into EU security policy, and thus work together toward conflict prevention. more»

Human Rights

Portrait Khodorkovsky

COMMENTARY

Khodorkovsky Dangling between Conviction and Release: Is there a Solution?

 

The second trial against the former Yukos owners, Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, is coming to an end.  The trial and its outcome are extremely political. I will try to explain why this is so, and why it could be worthwhile making some efforts to influence the outcome. 

By Jens Siegert, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Russia office more»
Barbara Lochbihler Portrait Picture

ARTICLE

Human Rights Policy of the EU after Lisbon

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With the Lisbon Treaty coming into force, the European Parliament's role is key. But is the EP well prepared for the new task? Barbara Lochbihler, MEP for the Greens/EFA group, takes a closer look at the stronger and weaker spots of the EP's policy.

more»

Gender

Publication

Feminicido: Un Fenomeno Global - De Lima a Madrid

Feminicides refer to cases in which the victims women, after experiencing continuous discrimination throughout their lives, are killed because they are. Going beyond the emblematic cases in Mexico and Guatemala, this publication offers a regional perspective on feminicide in Latin America. It gives voice to prominent women activists, academics, human rights defenders and civil society. more»
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