Coping with globalisation: past and present external challenges facing the EU

The internal affairs of the European Union are heavily influenced by broader global developments. Today, this is evidenced by the euro and refugee crises that have their origins in global rather than internal EU developments. The same can be said of other key issues that the EU has faced in the past and is facing today like (in)equality, environmental degradation, energy dependence and the rise of populism. Both their origins and their effects have reached far beyond the borders of the European Union.

This event organized by the Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges and the IOS Platform on EU Politics and Policy aims at developing a better eye for the global aspects of EU politics and policy-making. Utrecht University (UU) has a strong record when it comes to producing impactful studies on the internal dynamics of the EU and questions of agenda-setting, policy-making and legitimacy. Yet, are we taking sufficient notice of the global dimensions of our subject matter?

In his keynote lecture ‘Lonesome Rider? The History of European Integration in a (More) Global Perspective’, Kiran Klaus Patel, Jean Monnet Professor of European and Global History at Maastricht University, will make a plea for a less EU-centric form of studying the past and present of European integration. More specifically, he will scrutinize the ways in which the interconnections with other international organisations have energized, complemented or rivalled the efforts of the European Communities/EU. This approach allows for a reassessment of the alleged sui generis character of European integration. This lecture is open to all interested scholars and students.

The lecture will be followed by a roundtable on the global dimensions of EU trade policy. Participants will include scholars from the UU and other universities in the Netherlands and abroad as well as external partners. The roundtable is open to interested scholars and practitioners.

Programme

12.00-13.00    Lunch for invited speakers

13.00-13.45    Keynote lecture 'Lonesome Rider? The History of European Integration in a (More) Global Perspective' by Kiran Klaus Patel, Jean Monnet Professor of European and Global History (open to all)

13.45-14.15    Q&A and discussion

14.15-14.30    Coffee break

14.30-15.30    Roundtable on the global dimensions of EU trade policy (open to interested scholars and practitioners)

For more information, and to register, please contact Femke van Esch: f.a.w.j.vanesch@uu.nl 

This meeting is part of the project How the EU copes with Globalisation: the Global Influences on the Internal Dynamics and Legitimacy of the European Union.