European Union Institute for Security Studies

L'investissement de l'UE dans la sécurité collective en Afrique centrale : un pari risqué

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:29:00 +0200

En tant qu’ensemble régional, l’Afrique centrale n’est pas une zone d’intérêt de sécurité prioritaire pour l’Union européenne (UE), même si elle se trouve aux confins de plusieurs « systèmes de conflits » dans lesquels l’UE s’efforce graduellement d’adopter une approche globale – Grands Lacs, Corne de l’Afrique, Sahel, Golfe de Guinée. L’UE y est surtout présente au titre de l’Architecture africaine de paix et de sécurité (APSA) à travers deux programmes de développement des capacités de la Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique centrale (CEEAC) : le PAPS (Programme d’appui paix et sécurité), et la Facilité de paix (volet capacitaire) ainsi que l’appui à sa mission de soutien de la...

EU Open Day 2012

Sat, 12 May 2012 11:52:00 +0200

Next to stands explaining the work of the European External Action Service, the European Central Bank, the European Investment Bank and EU missions and agencies, the EUISS team put on an impressive display which provided information and a selection of publications to a wide spectrum of the public in the Justus Lipsius building....

Why is the EU ‘irrelevant’ for Israel?

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:31:00 +0200

The EU must develop a better understanding of Israeli domestic political constraints and set itself clearer goals and objectives if it is to have real influence in the Middle East peace process.

ESPAS Report ‘Global Trends 2030 - Citizens in an Interconnected and Polycentric World’

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:59:00 +0200

EU policy formulation depends on the timely identification of long-term global trends. Strategic thinking is essential both to drive EU domestic policies and to give coherence and consistency to the EU’s external action, bringing together common institutions and individual states. The EUISS, in its role as the European agency for strategic studies, was identified as the core institution of the pilot trend-monitoring European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS). In leading the ESPAS project, the EUISS sought the close involvement of policy experts and regional representatives from around the world. The product of this pilot project was the ESPAS research report ‘Global Trends 2030 -...

EU multilateral relations with southern partners: reflections on future prospects

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:11:00 +0200

The Arab awakening and other developments in 2011 have fundamentally changed the situation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. While the EU and its Member States have responded to these changes by reinvigorating and re-launching their essentially bilateral European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), they have done nothing from a multilateral point of view. According to EU officials, what should now be done is to reconsider the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) with the aim of setting it back on track. However, despite that the UfM proved to be a non-starter before the Arab Spring and has since lost any residual credibility, no clear proposal has emerged yet for how exactly it...

'Listening to Unfamiliar Voices - The Arab Democratic Wave' - Brussels book launch

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:50:00 +0200

The latest EUISS book ‘Listening to Unfamiliar Voices – The Arab Democratic Wave’ was launched in Brussels on 30 March 2012. The book, written by the EUISS Director Álvaro de Vasconcelos, was presented to Ambassadors, high profile journalists and EU officials in attendance. ...

'Listening to Unfamiliar Voices - The Arab Democratic Wave' - Cairo book launch

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:19:00 +0200

The latest EUISS book ‘Listening to Unfamiliar Voices – The Arab Democratic Wave’ was launched in Cairo on 26 March 2012.

The book launch was opened by Hanno Ranck, Head of Communications at the EUISS. Author of the book and EUISS Director Álvaro de Vasconcelos then presented his work, explaining the how the Arab democratic wave is part of a wider shift towards a post-Western world and underlined the chance for lasting peace in the Middle East that the democratic transition can offer. Speeches were then held by Volkhart Windfuhr, Cairo correspondent of Der Spiegel, and Amr Elshobaki, President of the Arab Forum for Alternatives. Mr. Windfuhr spoke of the importance of recognising that...

Egypt's transition to democracy: constitutional challenges

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:27:00 +0200

This timely seminar took place on 25 March 2012 in Cairo and was jointly organised by the EUISS and the Arab Forum For Alternatives. The seminar aimed to compare the different constitutional processes of other nations that have experienced a democratic transition with the constitutional process underway in Egypt. The Brazilian, Indonesian, Portuguese and Spanish experiences of constitution making were highlighted as useful case studies for the Arab world to examine. ...

Listening to Unfamiliar Voices – The Arab Democratic Wave

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:56:00 +0100

In 2011, millions of citizens in the Southern Mediterranean took to the streets demanding an end to dictatorship and the right to choose their governments, and also affirming their right to their cultural and religious identities and well-being. Within months this extraordinary popular movement led to the downfall of three dictators. The now thirty-seven year old third democratic wave is finally sweeping the periphery of old Europe. This wave came in four phases: it caused the fall of the dictatorships in Europe in Portugal, Greece and Spain in the 1970s, then in Latin America and Asia in the 1980s and 1990s, followed by Eastern Europe and other countries in the 1990s; and now, after the...

Roundtable discussion on Israel's internal tensions in a changing region

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:07:00 +0100

A roundtable discussion was organised on 8 March 2012 on the topic of Israel's internal tensions in a changing region where brief presentations were given drawing on recent research carried out by speakers on, respectively: Israel’s Palestinian minority; Israeli territorial identity; and Israel, the EU and international law. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss a variety of questions with external experts, EUISS staff and a Paris-based audience.