The Contribution of 14 European Think Tanks to the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Trio Presidency of the European Union [antikvár]

Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Trio Presidency of the EU Council f comes at the time of a new start. Decisions taken as well as precedents f set by this Trio will determine the course of European integration in the years to come. The first element of this start is our need to emerge from the eco- nomic crisis and to deal with its social consequences. Despite (or because of) this context, the new EU-2020 Strategy should also be the occasion to ensure a determined transition to a low-carbon economy. Moreover, the coming into force of the long-awaited Lisbon Treaty should mark the move from a period of institutional reform to one more focused on the elab- oration of common policies and projects. Finally, these three rotating presiden- cies must henceforth share the responsibility of agenda-setting with the newly- appointed permanent President of the European Council. The numerous ideas and recommendations contained in this report should help the Trio Presidency to manage this new start in the most effective way. Af- ter the publication of the first Think Global - Act European report in May 2008, this second edition brings together fourteen of the most eminent think tanks dealing with European affairs. "United in diversity" was the spirit that guided the contributors of this volume, as in 2008. However, this time the participating think tanks decided to increase their efforts to foster collective thinking. Firstly, as coordinator of the project, Notre Europe worked closely, within an Editorial Committee, with three think tanks based in the countries of the Trio Presidency, i.e. Real fnstituto Elcano, Egmontand GKI. Secondly, some of the papers were written by several think tanks together. Finally, the think tanks' representatives for the project agreed to select 15 recommendations they wished to bring to the specific attention of the Trio. As President of Notre Europe, lam proud to introduce here the product of a long and enriching process of cooperation between the contributing think tanks. I congratulate and thank them for the constructive spirit with which they par- ticipated in the project. I hope that this report will be considered by the Trio and the European Council President as a proof that cooperative work can produce original, relevant and useful results.