Commentaries
If the EU is Trump’s Foe, the EU should address Trumpism within Europe
Much is being made of the recent claim of the President of the United States that the European Union is “a foe”. The great paradox is that this statement is […]
European Affairs
Located in Brussels at the heart of EU political decision-making, the European Affairs Programme provides in-depth as well as policy-oriented analyses on a wide range of themes of relevance to EU and Belgian policy makers. Topics that are – or ought to be – central to the EU policy debate are given special attention. Aside from a constant focus on institutional matters, various substantive EU policies dominate the Programme’s research agenda, such as the Green Deal, the digital agenda, the consolidation of an inclusive social model, the protection of people and the defence of rights, and the promotion of Europe’s interests in the world.
The Programme also deals extensively and in a forward-looking way with the impact of the multiple crises the EU has had to address over the last decade. They all had an impact on its policies, its decision-making processes, and more generally its architecture, which is proof of the resilience of the European project.
With the aim of reaching the broadest audience possible, the European Affairs Programme seeks to share its expertise and stimulate the debate through a variety of publications as well as by organizing round tables, expert-seminars, and conferences.
Publications
Children in the Levant: Insights from Belgium on the dilemmas of repatriation and the challenges of reintegration
According to intelligence estimates, there are around 1,400 European children in Syria and Iraq, many of them born there. The fate of these children confronts European governments with moral, legal, […]
The European Citizens’ Initiative, a sufficient tool to bring Europe closer to its citizens?
At a time of rising populism in Europe and a global crisis of democratic representation, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) aims to provide a concrete response to those denouncing the […]
External publications
Which role for the Benelux post-Brexit?
The imminent departure of the UK and its multifarious consequences on the EU-27 have triggered substantial debate about the future of the European Union. In this context, the Netherlands are […]
Exploring the boundaries of conditionality in the EU
Conditionality in the EU comes in many forms: legally codified and enforced by the Court of Justice, or reliant on intergovernmental bargaining and expressed by means of political or economic […]
Between Rome and Sibiu: a trajectory for the new European narrative
Many observers may easily reach the conclusion that the European Union (EU) has been in crisis for the last decade. Against this background, and especially since the outcome of the […]