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Open Think Tank Articles
Michaele Schreyer and Ralf Fuecks: Current energy crisis poses a significant threat to international economic and political stability. The current make-up of the EU is ill-equipped to deal with this challenge. The Union urgently needs an institutional reform: a European Community for Renewable Energy which would transform its economy into an energy-efficient system.
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Daniel Fiott: Any revision of the European Security Strategy later this year should aim to deal with the security threats posed by climate change, energy security, human security, cyber crime and the incoherence of the European Union’s military capabilities.
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Wolfgang Ischinger: The transatlantic relationship will benefit from a kind of renaissance when the next US president is elected. Rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting for US demands, Europe should actively develop strategic initiatives and explain European priorities to the US.
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Stephanie von Hayek: Although the Lisbon Treaty is a step forward for a Europe of the citizens, the Irish said no. And it is understandable they did. There is a lack of transparency and political dialogue within the EU which needs to be filled in by politicians on all levels.
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Sonja Davidovic: Instead of continuously debating, negotiating and making plans for reconfiguration, the international community should help the Serbian and Kosovar governments find ways to strengthen cross-border trade and regional business activities.
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Heinrich Bonnenberg: To Russia, its current western border is a border that stands for loss and dishonor. This border is an open, bleeding wound on the Russian body. The security pact that the Russian president recently presented in Berlin could be helpful in overcoming historical grievances and bringing Western Europe and Russia closer together.
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Marek Swierczynski: One crisis is rapidly spiralling to another. The Irish “No” to the Lisbon Treaty spoiled the mood among the EU big players so much that they’ve threatened to halt enlargement plans. And it is not Ireland, they’re threatening but Eastern European new member states.
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Marek Swierczynski: The farewell trip of the 43rd US president shows who and what really matters for America in Europe. George Bush visits America’s traditional allies and friends but emphasizes the role of the EU as the main transatlantic link and one that may play an important role during the next presidency.
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C. Deblock & M. Rioux: Canadians want to develop closer economic ties with Europe in order to reduce their dependence on the United States. However this new “European” policy is motivated by the wrong reasons and political and structural differences could prove insurmountable.
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Marek Swierczynski: Now the Lisbon Treaty is almost over and done with, the EU is encouraged to look south- and eastwards. Initiatives by France and a Polish-Swedish team aim at creating buffer-spaces between the EU and unstable regions, but could create tensions that challenge the bloc’s unity.
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Peter van Ham: NATO is slowly losing its significance as the central platform to manage transatlantic security challenges. In view of the different reasons for the Alliance’s declining relevance, its resilience, rather than its demise should surprise us.
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Samantha Ferrell: Combating Human Trafficking requires systematic worldwide action. In a rapidly globalizing world, organized crime groups are operating transnationally. Unless there is an increased effort on the part of international agencies, the US, and the EU, to coordinate efforts, human trafficking will only continue to expand.
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Marek Swierczynski: Greece and Russia signed an agreement to build the southern branch of the South Stream natural gas pipeline. President Putin’s last victory hardens Gazprom’s grip on Europe and makes any energy diversification projects more difficult. Unless the EU looks at the map and acts.
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Marek Swierczynski: After a political upheaval and embarassment for President Kaczyński, Polish Parliament passed the bill to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon. The victory of the pro-EU lobby backed by overwhelming public support should not be overestimated as the debate did not touch the real issues behind Lisbon.
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Ambassador Victoria Nuland: “Europe needs, the United States needs, NATO needs, the democratic world needs – a stronger, more capable European defense capacity.”
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Marek Swierczynski: Poland’s decision to join the “coalition of the willing” has left the military stretched beyond capacity, the society in serious mistrust of their leaders and perception of a joint effort for a good cause seriously damaged. It took 25 lives 5 years and 3 governments to rethink and withdraw.
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Parag Khanna: The new world order won’t include American hegemony. “Second world” nations will be the geopolitical battlefield, as the US fights for a balance with China and the EU.
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Daniel Rackowski: As many Europeans ponder about the putative blessings of the post-Bush era, it is only opportune to ask how the at-times strained transatlantic relationship might evolve in the future.
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Christine Otsver: Political disengagement and a weak economy endanger democracy in Ukraine.
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Viktor Friedmann: This paper provides a summary of a V4 conference with young researchers which identified the type of information which could be transferred from the Visegrad civil sector to the neighboring countries who would also like to be members of the EU.
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Leon Hadar: The EU should put its money where its mouth is and work towards inviting both Israel and Palestine to join the EU. With the election of a new US president, Europe could gain more control in the Middle East, but only if it simultaneously accepts more responsibility.
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Benjamin Lucas Schoo: Vote now on what prominent security related issue the governments on both sides of the Atlantic should focus their attention on! We have identified 4 major tasks for 2008 and ask you to select which of these should be at the top of the transatlantic agenda. You can vote now on the right side.
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Michèle Schmiegelow: Asia’s integration has advanced considerably. Europe could benefit from Asia’s strategic pragmatism.
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Ruby Gropas: Through an examination of the hopes and expectations surrounding Western Balkan EU accession, Dr. Gropas concludes that without the will to accede — on everyone’s part — the Western Balkans won’t have the capacity to do so.
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Elizabeth Pond: The EU and the UN can build on recent progress to resolve the last unfinished business from the 1990s’ Balkan wars. There is still a long way to go, though, to bring Kosovo under EU supervision and persuade Serbia to opt for a European future.
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Jan Techau: Europe’s role is changing. The dream of a European superstate is redundant. Instead, Europe should be looking beyond its borders.
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Christine Otsver: Labor mobility in the EU-25 is shamefully low. One of the EU’s core concepts is freedom of movement, but getting more workers to resettle will take some radical rethinking.
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Oleksandr Chalyi: I call for an enhanced bilateral agreement between the EU and Ukraine with integration and association as its ultimate goal. Yuschenko’s New Realism must aim to meet the Copenhagen criteria within ten years, unilaterally if necessary.
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Memo 1: Members of the Atlantic Community commented on the appropriate role for the EU in Afghanistan.
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Global Must Read Articles
The EU can be proud of achieving a cease-fire between Russia and Georgia. ++ The Caucasus crisis has shown that the EU is able to create a space for diplomacy in order to resolve international conflicts. ++ Much remains to be done if the situation is to be stabilized in the long run but so far the EU has risen to the occasion. ++ Europe made Russia listen by choosing “action and negotiation over
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Two of the EU’s key assumptions towards Russia have been proven wrong: firstly, Russia obviously does not share the Western values and secondly, Russia does not oppose Iran going nuclear. ++ Moscow can assume that a nuclear Iran will hurt Western interests more than Russian and will shape balance of power favorably for Russia. ++ Yet, there is still a chance for the EU to pressure Iran through
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The EU’s attempt to develop a European Security and Defense Policy doesn’t mean it will compete with NATO. ++ Instead, NATO and EU complement each other. ++ Some countries in Africa or the Middle East would rather ask the EU for assistance. ++ On the other hand, NATO has the better capacities to manage certain long-term crises, e.g., when provoked by terrorism. ++ Military resources are only one
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For democracy in Georgia to last, Georgians need to feel we have their backs; the West must impose tough economic and diplomatic sanctions on Russia. ++ This conflict demonstrates impotency of the global security order. ++ The West must show Russia it has a greater capacity to sustain a hypothetical new Cold War. ++ It is crucial that the EU breaks the Russian stranglehold on Europe’s
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In times when there is no overbearing enemy, the transatlantic alliance is challenged by the geopolitical interests of each partner, which differ from one another. ++ For instance, the EU needs good relations with Russia and the Muslim world because they border on its territory and supply its energy demands, but these protagonists oppose the US hegemonic global pretensions. ++ Balancing the
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Despite the EU’s claim to be the continent of human rights, immigrants are being mistreated in Spain and Italy. ++ Furthermore, the EU strengthens efforts to close its borders and approved a “return directive,” which allows governments to detain unauthorised migrants for up to 18 months. ++ The EU must to recognize the fact that not every undocumented migrant is a criminal and it needs these
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EU realizes it is time to solve the festering conflicts in the Union’s new neighborhood: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. ++ But Moscow has an interest in preserving this “simmering status quo” and delays anything that could resolve the duel as it helps to achieve the goal of keeping Georgia out of NATO. ++ The key to resolution is for the EU to convince Kremlin that peace and stability on
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Food security is increasingly an issue in many parts of the developing world. ++ In countries that are net importers of food, e.g. Egypt or the Philippines, soaring prices lead to economic and political crises. ++ To help solve the problem the EU should increase its output: abandon restraints on production, review plans to switch land from food to biofuels, and increase expenditure on food
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The relations between Russia and the EU are shaped by mistrust which poses a threat to trade and investment between both regions. ++ Although they still rely on each other economically - especially Russia whose economy depends on oil and gas exports - EU-Russian trade finds itself in an impasse. ++ Russia must diversify its business and reduce state-control. ++ Moscow and Brussels have to work
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The extradition of Karadzic was hailed as a watershed in the relations between the EU and Serbia but great challenges still lie ahead. ++ It is important that the EU now shows its support by implementing the recently signed Stabilisation and Association Agreement, giving Serbia a candidate status, and including it in the Schengen zone. ++ Bringing Serbia closer to Europe could begin an
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Last week Turkey narrowly averted a catastrophe when its Constitutional Court turned back state prosecutors’ motion to disband the ruling Justice and Development Party by only one vote. ++ Had the prosecutor succeeded in his request the will of Turkish voters would have been disregarded and Turkey’s chances for EU membership ruined. ++ Such a ruling was a victory not only for Turkey, but
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Tomorrow China’s new antimonopoly law takes effect. ++ At a formal level, it is comparable to the laws in the US and the EU, but its implementation will not be as simple. ++ The US encourages competition in the marketplace; EU, on the other hand, strives to keep booming businesses from being too successful - Chinese law resembles the European system. ++ Moreover, the formulated goals such as the
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The global trade negotiations known as the Doha Round broke up yesterday without an agreement. ++ Despite expectations of a new international plan to cut tariffs, members of the WTO proved themselves unready for such a deal. ++ While the US and the EU had made some concessions on farm supports, India and China essentially torpedoed the talks asserting a broad right to raise tariffs to protect
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America declares it stands up for human rights; it condemns the regime in Burma and calls for fair democratic elections in Zimbabwe. ++ However, it is doing so only where it is convenient: human rights infringements in China and Saudi Arabia or the fact that Dmitri Medvedev came to power in fraudulent elections are overlooked. ++ The hypocrisy of condemning one and turning a blind eye to the
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It has to be said out loud that the EU project will not be complete as long as all Balkan countries are not allowed to join: letting in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania is crucial for progress and peace on the continent. ++ The EU states cannot leave these countries “dangling in a pit of constant evasion” and must finally give this process a momentum to match
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The arrest of the Bosnian Serb leader, political mastermind of the Bosnian genocide, Radovan Karadzic on charges of war crimes is a clear indication that ultranationalists no longer speak for Serbia ++ The decision to abide by the EU’s requirement that Serbia extradites Karadzic so that he can be tried at the international war crimes court in The Hague, has shown the new president Boris
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Despite a controversial relationship to the media, opposition to Turkish EU membership, and waning popularity at home, Sarkozy in all his recklessness is a positive force for France and for Europe. ++ The president has transformed France’s foreign relations turning it into a credible ally and intermediary. ++ Rapprochement with the US and Israel has brought independence to France and cohesiveness
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Foreign policy, European integration and environmental policy are subjects of predilection for Sascha Müller-Kraenner and questions on which he has extensively published in the past. He previously worked for the Heinrich Böll Foundation as director for Europe/North America, head of the program on foreign and security policy, and founding director for the North American office in
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Ireland’s “No” vote primed the way for the EU to leave “the world stage as a serious foreign policy player for at least ten years.” ++ While the EU will continue to exist, it will not have the strength to determine its own fate or act with a united European foreign policy. ++ Small and medium sized EU members will loose global influence and EU enlargement will be delayed or stopped. ++ Rather
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Given inevitable economic and demographic shifts, European countries will not be able to remain agenda setters in the global system, unless they cooperate more effectively and speak with one voice. ++ Despite Ireland’s vote against the Lisbon Treaty, EU policy makers must continue to work towards EU reform. ++ A minimalist option is to improve the EU’s foreign policy instruments through Council
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Europe has come a long way since the Middle Ages and especially over the last 50 years. ++ The Lisbon Treaty merged all treaties and conventions of the long European construction into a single body, defining and rationalizing the Union and its bureaucracy. ++ In order to exorcise it, governments need to explain the treaty to their electorate and fill the void of education. ++ Eventually, “logic
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The EU will likely find a way to implement the Lisbon treaty despite Ireland’s failure to ratify the document. ++ France and Germany have already indicated their willingness to “drive the Irish out of the EU if they fail to reverse their No vote.” ++ As long as the treaty avoids further defeats in the eight countries that have yet to ratify it, then the EU could exert unbearable pressure on
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Global issues, such as proliferation, energy security, diseases, and terrorism are not disparate and unconnected, and cannot be settled unilaterally. ++ “Practical multilateralism is a strategic necessity, not a liberal nicety.” ++ The UN Security Council needs to adopt permanent members such as India, Brazil, and South Africa. ++ “Treaty-based-action” should convert the UN into the legalizer
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While enjoying a security the post-Cold War period has afforded it, Europeans are becoming rhetorically more critical of their American protectors and militarily less willing to engage security threats around the globe. ++ A conventional response may warn that this attitude is short-sighted and immoral, however, Gideon Rachman says it might just be logical. ++ Albeit a lack of hard-power options
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The recent victory in Serbian parliamentary elections by President Boris Tadic’s pro-EU alliance was not as decisive as he would like to have the world believe. ++ In order to form a government he is likely to have to form a coalition with the eurosceptic Socialists, formerly the party of Slobodan Milosevic. ++ This would not only give him less space to maneuver with regard to EU accession and
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Russia is increasing military means in Georgia that show striking parallels with Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus. ++ NATO members argue Georgia’s state of democratization needs to improve before they are willing to risk souring relations with Russia, but it is overlooked that much more is at stake here. ++ Despite EU and NATO bureaucratic considerations, Western help in general is
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The idea of a Baltic-to-the-Black-Sea Union is a little noticed result of the last European Council meeting. ++ Since the French president proposed a Mediterranean Union for EU and non-EU countries around that sea, the Polish premier minister agued that in this case the East-European states should get the chance to act as a block that includes Georgia and Ukraine. ++ Although some countries
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The EU has been successful in promoting democracy among the states that aspire to join. ++ Given this success, Europeans should work to promote liberal democracy beyond Europe’s borders. ++ The EU must agree on what it wants to do and how it defines democracy, which can be best accomplished through a European consensus on democracy. ++ A shared EU approach rather than a single policy would be a
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The EU’s treatment of Turkish democracy is “more functional and opportunistic than principled.” ++ In its recent condemnation of the Turkish judiciary, the EU wrongly interpreted secularism as a threat to democracy while simultaneously disregarding the rule of law, separation of powers, and independence of the judiciary. ++ Accession negotiations and pulling Turkey toward the EU are more
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The traditional role of the state in Europe is diminished, therefore the capacity of EU governments to ask their people for sacrifices is reduced. ++ As the debate over using NATO forces in Afghanistan showed, EU governments are not able to live up to their obligations. ++ The European disillusionment with US policies has structural reasons and will continue after Bush’s presidency.
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The fact that the US and the EU are now responsible for under 30% of world exports indicates a decline of primacy. ++ Discussions held by the elites at the Brussels Forum highlighted the need for a closer transatlantic partnership when dealing with new global “state and nonstate threats”. ++ Internal discord in the EU and the US is hindering the focus on external common interests.
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With unilateral pull-outs of the Afghan mission threatening NATO’s existence, Europe’s security is also at risk. ++ EU members lack consensus both on matters of foreign policy and regarding a role for NATO in the future. ++ As a global security actor, the EU should bolster its military capabilities, drop its idealism, and commit itself to real objectives in Sudan, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
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Lukashenko requires economic stability to maintain his power and popularity. ++ With Russia threatening to double once again the price of natural gas imports to the country, the president has been forced to take liberal measures and expects the EU in return to ease restrictions. ++ Engaging in Belarus is now a moral imperative before Russia gets a chance to exert more influence and impose its
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As Afghanistan moves from a transitional to a long-term development framework, an outside authority is needed to direct reconstruction. ++ The Afghan government cannot manage this alone. ++ The country is slipping back into terrorism reminiscent of Taliban rule. ++ The European Union would be the ideal candidate to coordinate between the government, international organisations and the NGOs.
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Kosovo’s declaration of independence is equally one of dependency - but it’s the “least worst” outcome. ++ Europe is pushing for Kosovo to move from protectorate to EU member state, without allowing it to achieve full independence. ++ Kosovo’s independence does not make the region any more unstable. ++ Serbia has a choice: to sulk, or to start working towards reconstruction and the EU.
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Failure to make the most of the Annapolis process would be fatal for both Israel and the international community. ++ The US needs to be “the major responsible supervisor of the negotiation process.” ++ The EU must move beyond its traditional role of paymaster and focus on state building and economic reconstruction in Palestine. ++ The EU must simultaneously demand concrete results from other
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EU member states tend to act autonomously in their relations to Russia. ++ Implementation of EU treaty provisions on common security and foreign policy offers new prospects for EU-Russia cooperation and would be conducive to a partnership focused on solving common global problems. ++ An understanding that a foreign policy consensus is important will also help the relations of individual member
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The geopolitical consequences of climate change are determined as much by political, social and economic factors as by the climatic shift itself. As a rule wealthier countries will be better prepared to cope with the effects of climate change whilst developing countries are least able to do so. For example, an increase in rainfall could be a blessing for a country that can capture, store, and use
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Stryker McGuire laments that the days of real ideological battles between Europe’s major parties are over. Thus, be it in Britain, Denmark, Spain, Portugal or Germany, parties from left and right agree on almost everything, bar some minor petty issues. Yet, while the political center appears to be a good place for any party to find itself in, there appears to be a danger of a virtual one-party
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Improved cooperation between NATO and other organizations is necessary in view of new security requirements, says David Yost, professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School.
A more productive joint performance is needed to work towards common goals such as preventing failed states becoming safe havens for terrorists. Yost therefore welcomes the comprehensive civil-military approach endorsed by
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Jose Ignacio Torreblanca of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) criticizes Sarkozy’s proposal of a committee of the wise, to address the future of Europe, but discusses how it might eventually come to be seen as an interesting forum for mobilizing public debate about the future challenges of the EU.
The proposal has been received with skepticism because of fears that it
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Senior Fellow at the Century Foundation Morton Abramowitz calls on EU member states to take a united stand on Martii Ahitissari’s blueprint for Kosovo’s “supervised independence” from Serbia. Even though Ahitissari’s proposal complies with the official EU (as well as US) policy on the issue, a number of European nations were still openly skeptical of challenging a country’s territorial integrity.
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William H. Taft and Frances G. Burwell from the Atlantic Council advise the EU and US to coordinate their positions before the ICC review conference in 2009. The transatlantic partners must set an example for the rest of the world.
With the review conference on the International Criminal Court (ICC) coming up in 2009, a concerted transatlantic effort to build global consensus on international
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