Finn Myrstad » Future of the EU http://www.myrstad.eu Norway, EU and the World Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:27:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The next ‘big thing’ for the EU? http://www.myrstad.eu/the-next-%e2%80%98big-thing%e2%80%99-for-the-eu/ http://www.myrstad.eu/the-next-%e2%80%98big-thing%e2%80%99-for-the-eu/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:50:45 +0000 Finn Myrstad http://www.myrstad.eu/?p=289 I have been asked to make a presentation at the end of the week at a conference in Norway for around 50 youths who in their spare time are advocating Norwegian EU membership. The topic of my presentation is the following: “What is the next big thing for the EU?”, especially after the ‘Lisbon Treaty’ came into force before christmas.

I thought I would use this opportunity to ask friends and others who are interested in EU politics their opinion, in order to bring back some innovative and wide ranging? answers. Feel free to write short or long answers. What do you think is, or should be, the EU’s next big project?

Some ideas that are suggested:

  1. Should it be to battle climate change and at the same time ensure energy security for its citizens? If so, what do you believe is the best avenue to reach this goal?
  2. Is it more important to create a true foreign policy, so that the EU can talk with one voice and be upon a level with major powers such as Russia, India and China?
  3. Or is more institutional reform needed in the years to come, if so why? Could federalism be the answer?

Or should the EU focus on more issue specific policies that “matter” more to the citizens, such as:

  1. Making its main priority to battle poverty, inequality and unemployment within the EU?
  2. To improve research and education within the EU, in order to make Europe develop the best minds in order to be at the cutting-edge of innovation and wealth creation in the world? Is the new 2020 strategy that Barroso is talking about the answer?
  3. To secure the borders of Europe and at the same time ensure more legal ways of immigration and protecting those in need of protection?
  4. Or should it be a more ambitious enlargement policy and strive to include the Western Balkans and Turkey in the EU?

What is your opinion? What do you believe should be the EU’s next big project?

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