On the margins of the General Affairs Council of the European Union to be held in Murcia on September 27 and 28, CIDOB, in collaboration with the University of Murcia, organises a discussion session between experts and policy-officers from member states directly involved in the institutional affairs of the EU.
CIDOB (Barcelona Center for International Affairs), in collaboration with the Jean Monnet Chair on the Transformative European Union Law Power (TEULP) and the Chair of European Affairs of the University of Murcia; and with the support of the Hablamos de Europa programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation will tackle the debate on the institutional reform of the EU in the context of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and in accordance with the priorities Hablamos de Europa programme. On the margins of the General Affairs Council of the European Union to be held in Murcia on September 27 and 28, CIDOB, in collaboration with the University of Murcia, organises a discussion session between experts and policy-officers from member states directly involved in the institutional affairs of the EU.
The new geopolitical challenges and the enhanced attention to enlargement process have also generated a renewed interest in debating the governance of the EU. The conclusions emanating from the Conference on the Future of Europe include proposals that imply a revision of the Treaties and others that affect decision-making in the Council within the framework of the current Treaties. For this reason, the first part of the debate will focus on the possibilities of undertaking an institutional reform and the second part will delve into the mechanisms that could allow progress in European integration without the need to modify the current Treaties (such as passerelle clauses, greater use of the qualified majority, or differentiated integration, among others others), and the possibility to make use of them as an opportunity to bringing European integration forward.
18.30 – 18.45 Welcome
José Luján Alcaraz, Chancellor, University of Murcia
18.45 – 20.30 Conversation on the future of the EU
Pascual Navarro, State Secretary for the European Union, Government of Spain
Pol Morillas, Director, CIDOB
Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, European Parliament
Introduces Carme Colomina, Senior Researcher, CIDOB
At the end of the session, a cocktail will be served to all the participants.
09.30 – 09.35 Welcome
Francisca María Ferrando García, Law School Dean, University of Murcia
09.35 – 11.00 Possible scenarios for the institutional reform
Initial remarks Ignacio Molina, Senior Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute
Jolanta Szymańska, Head of the European Union Programme, PISM
Ilke Toygür, Director, IE Center for Innovation in Global Politics and Economics
Nicolai von Ondarza, Head of Research Division, EU/Europe, SWP (online)
Moderates Héctor Sánchez Margalef, Researcher, CIDOB
11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break
11.30 – 13.00 Existing mechanisms within the current Treaties to advance European integration
Initial remarks Marta Arpio, Director General and Institutional Policy, General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union
Steven Blockmans, Director of Research, CEPS
Belén Becerril, Senior Lecturer, University CEU San Pablo
Margarita Šešelgytė, Director, Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University
Moderates Juan Jorge Piernas López, TEULPJean Monnet Chair, University of Murcia
13.00 – 14.00 Farewell cocktail
