Institute for International Relations

Where is the EU Heading? Future Developments and Reflections on Croatia

EU-CONSENT Project Results' Presentation Meeting
Zagreb, Croatia, 6 March 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 15:30 p.m.

Venue

Hotel Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Gajeva 1

Organizers

EU-CONSENT, FP6 Project
Institute for International Relations (IMO), Zagreb
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Croatia

Background

The EU-CONSENT research project is supported by the European Union's 6th Framework Programme for the period 2005-2009 (www.eu-consent.net). The project is coordinated by professor Wolfgang Wessels, University of Cologne, Germany.

EU-CONSENT Research Consortium operates as a Network of Excellence for joint research and teaching and addresses questions of the mutual reinforcing effects of the deepening and widening of the EU It involves 54 institutional partners, including 25 universities, as well as approximately 200 researchers and about 80 Ph.D. candidates from 24 EU member states and two candidate countries: Croatia and Turkey. IMO is the only research consortium member from Croatia.

The project integrates a broad range of research communities, including individual experts, universities, research institutes and networks involved in research on widening and deepening of the European Union. The network aims at improving the understanding of key European processes and challenges, but also to create a forum, easily accessible for researchers, students and a broader public on all major dimensions of the EU integration process.

A particular focus is on the relationship between widening and deepening of the Union and a reflection on the Union's ultimate capacity to enlarge. To this aim scenarios for the future shape of the EU are being discussed.

Aims of the Meeting

The meeting is part of a series of EU-CONSENT public events in the EU and candidate countries' capitals (Madrid, Brussels, Zagreb and Istanbul) aimed to share the project results with wider stakeholders’ audience.

It is organized as an opportunity for an open dialogue on the projects results and insights on selected topics that were considered in the focus of attention of Croatian public and stakeholders interested in the EU integration issues and position of Croatia in this process.

The focus of the two panel discussions in Zagreb is on following topics: global financial and economic crises; the EU responses to crisis; innovation and education policies; long-term competitiveness of the single market; EU institutional reforms and Lisbon Treaty; enlargement policy; impacts and reflections on Croatia.

The EU-CONSENT keynote speakers will present some of their research and insights on these topics. After that several local commentators and discussants would focus on how the current developments would reflect on Croatia and the region. The general debate will follow.

Programme

The more detailed programme is available here.

Working Languages

The working language of the meeting is English without translation.

Participation

Over 100 invited experts and professionals from different academic fields (economics, political sciences, law), Croatian government, NGOs, trade unions, opinion makers and media.

Contact

Valentina Vučković, IMO, Ul. Lj. F. Vukotinovića 2, P.O. Box 303, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; tel.: +385-1-4877474; fax: +385-1-4828361; e-mail: valentina@irmo.hr