The Challenges of European Governance
Preliminary Program
Session 1: The present political context
There seems to be evidence of a new window of opportunity for charting a Global Governance agenda. In spite of deadlocks in global trade negotiations there is growing public awareness of the impending and systemic nature of global crisis in the areas of climate change, energy security and migration and a renewed global political leadership with greater stakes in political success.
Moreover the conditions, terms and modalities for multilateral negotiations and norm setting today differ remarkably from the 80’s when global economic reforms have also been attempted. The stakes are higher the number of participants have increased and the economic importance and priorities
for the major players has shifted. Conflict of interest between and within regions increases the premium of short range solutions and contrasts with more stable norm setting alternatives. The balance of forces and strengths between major powers also differs remarkably from the 80’s; Global institutions whose reforms have failed in the 80’s must now update their functional mandates.
- What is the nature of Gaps and Contradictions between demands, existing architecture, institutional mechanisms and processes for Governance
- What have we learned from the recent failures in Global Institutional reforms
- Emerging trends and benchmarks in global and regional negotiations.
Session 2: The EU and its impact and role on the Global Governance Agenda
The EU has a successful tradition of innovation in internal governance and in the pursuit of multilateral political solutions to global problems. This is reflected on its internal governance achievements and in its record of international conflict resolution. This norm setting tradition is now being challenged by emerging global problems for which no multilateral instruments of conflict resolution exists. A precarious internal structure of decision making additionally hampers effective political action at the global level.
In spite of its past achievements, the EU is presently trying to confront and find broadly acceptable solutions not only to its internal problems but also for its far too limited capacity to respond to the crisis in global governance. This session will review the following aspects of this problem:
- How is the EU establishing governance priorities for economic and social problems which surpass its frontiers? Are existing governance instruments adequate to face the challenges of conflicting regional interest and divisive impact of policy options for problems brought about by globalization?
- What perspectives and priorities for energy, climate change, trade, migration and security?
- What are the political prerequisites which will have to be met and the global alliances which will have to be built if the European Union is to effectively contribute to global governance
- What changes are required in the EU’s internal institutional governance?
- How can the traditional EU role in institution building be updated?
Concluding Session: Prospects for renewed multilateralismGlobalization has increased the importance of global governance initiatives but strained the logic of conflict resolution through traditional multilateral negotiation. It has increased the conflict between specific national requirements and collective management of global goods and placed a premium on the free riders. In this concluding session the premises and political options available to renew multilateralism will be examined.
- Resurging nationalism and regional responses
- Regional trends outside of Europe
- What initiatives can we expect from the European Union in building a new architecture for global governance?
- Resurging nationalism and regional responses