elf European Liberal Forum Annual Report

Transcription

1 elf European Liberal Foru Annual Report Copyright 2011 European Liberal Foru asbl. All rights reserved. Content is subject to copyright. Any use and re-use requires approval. This publication was funded by the European Parliaent. The European Parliaent is not responsible for the content. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors alone. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Liberal Foru.

2 w a Welcoe Letter fro the President 6 Foreword by the Executive Director 8 About us 11 Meber organisations 12 Board of Directors 14 The ELF Secretariat 15 Contents w e Selection of events 17 Political counication in the IT age 18 Deocracy in Turkey: 20 A road ap on the way towards European Union Epowering civil society s oveents, organisations and institutions 22 After the financial crisis: 25 Green growth? Liberal Acadey: 28 Challenging European integration standstill Huan rights in the EU in the context of the War on Terror 30 Life chances in Europe 32 Active citizenship and deocratic accountability in the EU 35 Could igration defuse Europe s deographic tiebob? 38 Liberal answers to the global econoic crisis 40 Internal arket 43 Should deocratisation be a key pillar of EU foreign policy? 45 Liberalis across the borders: 47 A citizen s dialogue in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion Coplete list of ELF events in p Selection of publications and studies 55 Deocracy in Europe: 56 Of the people, by the people, for the people? Green growth: 57 How best to proote green investent Liberty and civil society in enlarged Europe 58 Fiscal federalis in the European Union 59 Coplete list of ELF publications in Meber organisations 65 Presentation of the ELF ebers Welcoe Iprint 94 5

3 Letter fro the President w Dear reader, dear Liberal friend, I a delighted to present the of the European Liberal Foru asbl (ELF), the European political foundation of the Liberal faily, affiliated to the European Liberal Deocrat Party (ELDR). Throughout 2010, ELF offered analysis and opinions on a ultitude of topics of European interest fro a liberal perspective and thus contributed in a eaningful way to the debate on European public policy issues and European integration. The diversity of the European political agenda was reflected in uch of ELF s prograe, which was et with great interest by the European citizens who participated. The challenges resulting fro the econoic and financial crisis were analysed and debated at various discussion fora. Policy-akers, acadeics and experts outlined liberal ideas and approaches to safeguarding financial stability in the future and thus provided liberal recoendations to this iportant and topical debate. Active citizenship and deocratic accountability in the European Union were identified as central thees at nuerous ELF events and publications. The policy debate was copleented by workshops on political counication, with a special focus on the use and ipact of social edia; an issue that has becoe even ore relevant in the light of the latest developents in the Middle East and North Africa. ELF ipleented conferences, seinars and workshops across Europe, reaching out beyond expert circles to European citizens to provide Liberal viewpoints, political education and stiulate political participation. During the course of 2010, the network of 28 eber organisations in 18 different EU eber states deepened considerably. Meber organisations fro various EU eber states actively supported ELF projects with their expertise, thus highlighting their genuinely European nature. This led to popular deand for our activities across Europe. I a glad to see ELF developing so successfully! I a confident that ELF will further widen as a network of liberal think tanks and foundations and that it will extend the scope of its activities to any ore countries. Welcoe MEP Alexander Graf Labsdorff President 6 7

4 Foreword by the Executive Director This annual report is coposed of a selection of reports on the events realised by the ELF in In addition, it includes activity profiles of the any Liberal think tanks and political foundations aking up the ELF network across Europe and provides a coprehensive overview of both our activities and those of our eber organisations. w 2010 was a year of intense activity here at the ELF. We saw an even higher nuber of ebers actively supporting and engaging in an even greater nuber of ELF conferences, seinars and workshops than in previous years. ELF events addressed an audience across Europe, having been held in EU eber states and in official candidate countries. Liberal policyakers at European, national and regional level took part as speakers, resource persons and participants at any of the ELF s events. They expressed their Liberal convictions and shared their Liberal opinions with the audience and thus shaped the debate on current policy issues of Liberal interest, contributing treendously both to the success of the events theselves and to the ELF as an organisation. Their relentless support is greatly appreciated! I hope you enjoy reading this report and learning ore about the ELF and its accoplishents during Susanne Hartig Executive Director Welcoe 8 9

5 About us Founded in the fall of 2007, the European Liberal Foru, asbl (ELF) is the non-profit European political foundation of the liberal faily. ELF brings together liberal think thanks, political foundations and institutes fro around Europe to observe, analyse and contribute to the debate on European public policy issues and the process of European integration, through education, training, research and the prootion of active citizenship within the European Union. 11

6 Meber organisations a The ELF currently has 28 eber organisations Atvira visvoenė ir jos draugai Open Society and its Friends Lithuania Bertil Ohlin Institutet Sweden Centre Jean Gol Belgiu CentreForu United Kingdo Centru Liberálních Studií Centre for Liberal Studies Czech Republic Edistysielisen tutkiuksen yhdistys r.y. e2 Think tank e2 Finland European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) pan-european Fondazione Critica Liberale Italy Foru för reforer och entreprenörskap (FORES) Foru for Refors, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Sweden Friedrich-Nauann-Stiftung für die Freiheit (FNF) Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Gerany Fundacija Libertas Slovenia Institute for Liberal Studies Roania Kenniscentru D66 The Netherlands Liberty Foru of Greece (KEFIM) Greece Liberales Institut Österreich Austria Lokus Finland Moviento Liberal Social (MLS) Portugal Nadácia Liberálna spoločnosť Liberal Society Foundation Slovak Republic Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting The Netherlands Proetheus Liberaal Kennis Centru (Proetheus) Belgiu Stichting Internationaal Deocratisch Initiatief (Stichting IDI) The Netherlands Support Initiative for Liberty and Deocracy (SILBA) Denark Swedish International Liberal Centre (SILC) Sweden Fundació Catalanista i Deòcrata (Fundació CatDe) Catalonia Spain Fundacja Klub Obywatelski Civic Club Foundation Poland Fundacja Projekt: Polska Poland Haya van Soerenstichting VVD International The Netherlands About us Inštitut za strateške in aplikativne študije (NOVUM) Institute for Strategic and Applied Research Slovenia 12 13

7 Board of Directors a MEP Alexander Graf Labsdorff > President of the ELF (2007 present) > > Meber of the European Parliaent (2004 present) 1st Vice-President of the Alliance of Liberals and Deocrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliaent (2009 present) Susanne Hartig Executive Director shartig@liberalforu.eu Phone Fax The ELF Secretariat a MEP Anneie Neyts-Uyttebroeck > Vice-President of the ELF (2007 present) > > Meber of the European Parliaent ( , 2004 present) President of the European Liberal Deocrat (ELDR) Party (Septeber 2005 present) Eva Ferluga Project Assistant eferluga@liberalforu.eu Phone Fax > Minister of State (1995 present) Dr. Thierry Cooseans > ELF Treasurer (2008 present) > PhD in Political sciences (Université Libre de Bruxelles) > Coordinator of the Centre Jean Gol Saanthi Wickrea Finance and Personnel Adinistrator swickrea@liberalforu.eu Phone Fax > Felicita Medved Meber of the ELF Board of Directors (2010 present) > Vice-President of Zares-new politics ( ) > President of the Board of NOVUM (2010 present) Aerigo Lobardi Intern intern@liberalforu.eu Phone Fax > Independent researcher on igration, citizenship and political geography (2004-present) Dr. Eugenijus Gentvilas European Liberal Foru asbl. > > Meber of the ELF Board of Directors (2010 present) Chair of the Board of Open Society and its Friends (2010 present) > Forer eber of the European Parliaent ( ) Square de Meeûs Brussels Belgiu info@liberalforu.eu About us 14 15

8 Selection of events In 2010, the ELF organised 34 events throughout the EU and candidate countries. Acadeics, researchers and politicians fro the EU and neighbouring countries, as well as representatives fro civil society and the edia, analysed and debated the European public policy issues high on the political agenda, and of particular concern to Liberals. The events covered a wide range of policy areas. Considerable attention was given to the global financial and econoic crisis and Liberal answers to it. A strong focus on the continuing deographic decline in the EU led to a discussion of EU igration policy, with Liberals across Europe outlining their ideas for solutions and new approaches. Special ephasis was given to the prootion of deocracy inside and outside the EU. Protecting huan rights, securing the rule of law and prooting active citizenship and deocratic accountability were core concerns at any ELF events. 17

9 Political counication in the IT age e Type of event Workshop Dates April July 2010 Location Bucharest Roania Bankya Bulgaria Supported by Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo (FNF) Institute for Liberal Studies European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) Social edia is the web-based technology that can transfor and broadcast edia onologues into edia dialogues. The ain task of social edia is the deocratisation of knowledge and inforation, and the transforation of people fro content consuers to content producers. Social edia utilisation can be seen as a driving force in defining today s world as the Attention Age, stated Irina Toa, an event participant. Are you active on the internet? What do you know about political blogging? Are you failiar with the concept of netiquette? Are you able to counicate to a wider audience rather than just a few people? On April 2010, the ELF organised, for the first tie, an event explicitly designed to support the counication skills of young political activists and students by giving the the opportunity to expand their knowledge of political counication in the IT age. During the event, oderated by Toni Richard Crisolli, participants had the opportunity to learn about and develop best practices in the fields of blogging and podcasting, as well as basic rules and guidelines for IT counication and editorial standards on the internet. This kind of knowledge can be particularly valuable when it coes to the political environent. they developed different types of edia: one-to-one interviews, coentaries, panel discussions and talk shows. Following the presentations, the discussions covered the difficulties and obstacles they had faced, as well as the solutions they were able to find, and the participants achieveents. The open discussions enabled all the participants to share their views on the workshop and to discuss how to continue iproving their IT counication skills. A second workshop on the sae topic was held in Bankya, Bulgaria. On the first day, after a few short welcoing rearks by Peter-Andreas Bochann, resident representative of the Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo (FNF) in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Elisaveta Tsvetkova, FNF Project Coordinator for Roania and Moldova, the participants were presented with an overview of social edia tools, followed by a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up their own internet activity. Those who already had their own blogs received soe useful tips, such as how to further develop the in order to attract ore attention. They were also able to share their blogging experience with Victor Ionescu, one of the first Roanian Liberal bloggers and Vice-President of TNL (the Youth Organisation linked to the Roanian Liberal Party). During the afternoon, the participants then had the opportunity to put into practice the tools that they had learned in the orning and were able to start publishing their blogs in the Do-it-yourself session. Participants enhancing their blogging skills The second day s sessions addressed two of the IT age s other iportant counication issues: how to write online and how to cultivate and aintain an online reputation. Under the supervision of Mr. Crisolli, the participants failiarised theselves with the rules of writing online and were given an introduction to how to ake professional use of the ain social networks: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Events On the third and last day, participants were given an insight into podcasting. Divided into three working groups (docuentation, news and entertainent), 18 19

10 Deocracy in Turkey: A road ap on the way towards European Union e Type of event Acadey Dates May 2010 Location Ankara Turkey Supported by Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo (FNF) Stichting Internationaal Deocratisch Initiatief (Stichting IDI) As a EU candidate country, Turkey is looking to fulfil the EU s acquis counautaire by bringing deocratic processes to the fore in both its doestic and foreign policies. Exaples of these deocratic processes are the recent constitutional aendents to the judicial syste and the country s ore constructive relations with its neighbours. Freedo and deocracy in Turkey was the central thee of this workshop. The event brought together acadeics, representatives fro think tanks, bureaucrats, legal professionals, politicians and journalists fro all over Turkey, as well as representatives of international NGOs and foreign diploatic issions. Presentations by the ain speakers ignited high-quality discussions aong Liberal opinion leaders. The prograe highlighted the iportance of the Turkish political syste s transition to a liberal deocracy over 60 years ago. This arked a period of ajor change for a country that had previously been ruled by a single-party regie. However, as noted by Professor Mustafa Erdogan, Hacettepe University, Departent of Politics, the transition did not result in a stable and sustainable deocratic syste with fully-established liberal deocratic values and institutions. Instead, it sees that this state of transition has becoe a long-ter situation with no expected end in sight. During the first session, individual freedos, ainly of a political and econoic nature, were assessed within a theoretical fraework by Professor David Schidtz, Director of the Freedo Center, University of Arizona, and Professor Mustafa Acar, Kirkkale University, Departent of Econoics. Following these inspiring talks, various speakers discussed how these ideas have been used in practice and how countries have engaged in the deocratisation and econoic liberalisation process over the years. Martin Aranburu, Prograe Coordinator, Fundació Catalanista i Deòcrata (Fundació CatDe) and a forer eber of the Basque Parliaent, spoke on Spain s historical experience with liberalis. The audience was keen to hear about Spain s struggle with secessionist oveents, as well as its experience in consolidating liberal deocratic institutions. Milosz Hodun, International Officer, Fundacja Projekt: Polska, described Poland s deocratisation process following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Belgiu s experience with liberalis was also discussed; Dr. Huseyin Kalayci, Associate Professor at Maltepe University, Departent of International Relations, debated whether Belgian history could be an inspiration for Turkey in easing ethnic and cultural tensions. As the conversation shifted back to Turkey, Dirk Verhofstadt, Liberales (Belgiu), addressed the usual criticiss directed at the country in its bid for EU ebership and defended its right to becoe an EU eber. This led to a discussion on the particular probles facing Turkey as it approaches a process of liberalisation and deocratisation. Professor Tanel Deirel, Cankaya University, Departent of Politics and Lale Keal, colunist at the Taraf daily newspaper, analysed how far the country s civil and ilitary bureaucracy were barriers to deocratic change. The speakers and participants agreed that the Turkish people have only recently becoe ore aware of the oppressive bureaucratic syste of tutelage that has been in place since the ilitary coup in This has been particularly true following the recent legal investigations into Erghenekon, the clandestine ultra-nationalist gang allegedly plotting an anti-governent coup. Secularis and religion were also discussed. Giulo Ercolessi, Fondazione Critica Liberale (Italy), ephasised the iportant role played by secularis in a liberal deocracy. By contrast, both Professor Adnan Kucuk, Kirikkale University, Departent of Law, and Professor Bilal Sabur, SD University, Departent of Theology, argued in favour of the value of freedo of religion and conscience. In conclusion, the speakers ephasised that the Turkish experient with laicis (i.e. a secular state) in the Republican period (1923-present) is incopatible with secularis in a liberal deocracy. Towards the end of the prograe, a discussion developed on the constitutional probles currently existing in Turkey. The session included three speakers: Professor Ergun Özbudun, Bilkent University, Departent of International Relations; Professor Yavuz Atar, Selcuk University, Faculty of Law and Professor Mithat Sancar, Ankara University, Faculty of Law. They gave a historical overview of Turkey s institutional fraework and constitutional past, and also discussed the present shortcoings in the country s rule of law and liberal deocracy. Although the recent aendents aiing to reove judicial bureaucratic tutelage in favour of deocratic politics were ostly well received, any participants did not consider the to be sufficient to achieve Turkey s full liberalisation and deocratisation. In the day s final session on the rule of law, Orhan Keal Cengiz, President of the Huan Rights Agenda Association, highlighted violations of huan rights by the establishent, while Dr. Osan Can, rapporteur to the Turkish Higher Constitutional Court and President of the Association for a Deocratic Judiciary, entioned the interventionist position of the Turkish judiciary in suppressing constitutional deocracy. Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake, Alliance of Liberals and Deocrats for Europe (ALDE), also offered her opinion on Turkey s progress towards EU ebership. She ephasised the iportance of Turkey s ability to eet the EU s deocratic criteria. By contrast, soe Turkish participants criticised European institutions and actors of European integration for not being consistent when advocating and ipleenting universal values and principles. They went on to argue that it is crucial to apply the equally to all individuals and societies, notwithstanding religious beliefs, ethnicity or country of origin. It was concluded that Turkish ebership of the EU could bring ajor benefits to both Europe and Turkey. The deocratisation of Turkey could serve as a tool for disseinating deocratic values across the region and the Middle East. In addition, Turkey s accession to the EU could serve to convince the international counity that peaceful agreeents based on liberal institutions and liberal values could enhance peace and prosperity in today s world. Events 20 21

11 Epowering civil society s oveents, organisations and institutions e Type of event Conference Dates 5 June 2010 Location Athens Greece Supported by Liberty Foru of Greece (KEFIM) Centre Jean Gol Proetheus Liberaal Kennis Centru (Proetheus) What is civil society and how can it be epowered, especially in circustances such as those in Greece today? Is civil society ature enough to deal with the challenges eerging fro the financial crisis? Having active and responsible social oveents, organisations and institutions is a good and reliable indicator of a healthy civil society. A cobination of the financial and econoic crisis, and structural probles inherited fro the past, ean Greece is confronted with its deepest crisis of recent decades. However, every crisis has a silver lining and there is always another side to the coin. New Greek civil society oveents and organisations are flourishing and they are deanding better representation and ore visibility in the public sphere. In this context, the ELF organised a conference in Athens entitled, Epowering civil society s oveents, organisations and institutions on 5 June The conference brought together soe 60 participants fro Greece and southern Europe and included three ajor Liberal thinkers and politicians: Dr. Thierry Cooseans, eber of the ELF Board of Directors and a representative of the Centre Jean Gol (Belgiu); Dr. Robert Nef, Chairan of the Board of Trustees of the Liberal Institute (Switzerland); and MEP Michael Theurer (ALDE), forer ayor of Horb a Neckar and a forer eber of the Baden-Württeberg Regional Assebly (Gerany). Dr. Nef supported the principle of subsidiarity as a way to achieve a ore decentralised EU. He is of the view that any higher jurisdiction should give up its copetence, powers, responsibility and transfer the to saller jurisdictions closer to grassroots oveents. What is needed now is not a deeper enosis (unification) but a return to greater autonoy, i.e. to that diversity which is the secret behind the European iracle. Dr. Nef s presentation was followed by an interactive discussion. Several participants contrasted the decentralised Swiss syste with the centralised Greek syste. In conclusion, it was agreed upon that the Greek syste as it is organised today cannot eet the needs of its counities and citizens. Considerable autonoy is needed and this can be achieved by giving greater resources to regional and local authorities so they are able to serve their constituents ore effectively. Dr. Cooseans gave a short word of welcoe and focused on the iportance of the ethod of subsidiarity and on the need to strengthen Liberal actors in civil society to ensure that they are able to take part in, and have an ipact on, Greek public life. He then left the floor to George Billinis, representative of Liberty Foru of Greece (KEFIM), for an in-depth analysis of the current state of Liberalis in Greece. George Billinis opened a discussion with the public, stressing the iportance of civil society, particularly in the situation that Greece finds itself today. Can it be considered ature enough to deal with the challenges eerging fro its financial crisis? Who are its eneies today? He stated the conference s ai of facilitating a constructive discussion between speakers and conference participants: exploring potential solutions through the analysis of the current crisis and identifying potential obstacles to those solutions, as well as analysing civil society s willingness and ability to intervene. Dr. Nef focused his speech on the topic of non-centralis in Europe. He started by asking the participants to consider the following issues: is the topic of non-centralis in Europe still of iportance? Should we not instead discuss national insolvency and international solidarity, as well as the new EU onetary and financial policy, and the principles behind those issues? His view is that, nowadays, these topics see far ore interesting and of universal concern. Still, non-centralis and the principle of subsidiarity, continue to be useful concepts. MEP Michael Theurer and Eanouil Manoledakis MEP Theurer presented successful exaples of epowering civil society, which were drawn fro his tie as ayor of Horb a Neckar in the Geran state of Baden-Württeberg. He highlighted how, within a short period of tie, he convinced the residents of the surrounding areas of the city of Horb to coe together and establish a bigger and stronger unicipality. He then explained how he developed a policy of incentives in order to keep local industries and SMEs alive and, consequently, avoided the possible relocation of these copanies to another country or to other parts of Gerany. According to hi, this policy had achieved its goal of saving local jobs and giving local Liberal parties significant political support in local elections. Events 22 23

12 He stressed the iportance of local action and responsibilities despite ongoing discussions on the structure of the state and how it should be iproved. Based on his experience, close counication with citizens is iportant. This encourages people to becoe involved in the public arena: society is stronger than the state, has ore potential, and should be left free to address local probles in its own way rather than in a way decided by central state organisations. The session was brought to a close with an open discussion on coalition-building and successful actions at a local/regional level. In the last session, Nicholas Chardalias, the Mayor of Vyronas, a large unicipality within the broader etropolitan area of Athens, presented a nuber of ajor obstacles to the epowerent of civil society in Greece. He explored the topic using his eight years experience as ayor. Participants were able to ask questions about the unicipality s financial situation and were particularly anxious to know how it was able to recover econoically without the need to ipleent job cuts. Mayor Chardalias explained that incentives were introduced for new businesses within the unicipality exepting the fro paying taxes for three years. However, he acknowledged that there is no one single odel of success, as each local counity has its own criteria and its own needs. The discussion focused on how civil society could find ways either to participate in regional councils or to influence the through targeted action. Mayor Chardalias gave exaples of successful initiatives in his unicipality and ade reference to the recently-introduced new regulatory fraework (the Kallikratis law, effective 1 January 2011). It was agreed that its provisions encourage wider participation in civil society at a local level because the new law upgrades the involveent of local authorities on issues such as econoic developent, town planning and anageent of schools and kindergartens. However, despite soe scepticis expressed regarding the availability of financial resources for local authorities, Mayor Chardalias argued that the principle of subsidiarity is, for hi, definitely the way forward and that greater responsibilities at a local level should be welcoed. He noted that town planning, pre-school education and local developent plans will be aong the new areas that will be dealt with at a unicipal level and that these areas provide opportunities for participation not only for local governent, but also for counity groups and NGOs. Attendees were able to share their ideas and obtain input fro the speakers, enabling the to leave with the confidence that they had begun to play their part in epowering civil society s oveents, organisations and institutions. At a tie when there is an urgent need to reduce carbon eissions and when sources of growth appear scarce, European governents are attepting to stiulate the green econoy through taxes to iprove price incentives, by underwriting the risk of investing in new technologies or by directly subsidising the copanies that produce the. But, what about the econoic costs of the transition to a low-carbon econoy? And, is current governent investent in green technology being undertaken in the right way? These were the questions that the four panellists of the After the financial crisis: green growth? seinar were seeking to answer. Speaking first, To Burke, Founding Director of E3G and current Environental Policy Advisor to international ining group Rio Tinto, argued that incoherent policy is preventing any real progress. He asserted that while we already know how to ake the transition to a low-carbon econoy, we have not yet created an effective policy structure to deliver the transition. For one, governents across the developed world are failing to prepare their econoies for oil price growth constraints and a post-fossil fuel world. They are investing too uch tie and energy into getting the carbon price right, when what they should be thinking about is: who pays the carbon price? In siple ters, the answer is, if conventional sector industries stop producing, there will be no carbon tax revenues. The second panellist, Diitri Zenghelis, Associate Fellow, Chatha House (United Kingdo), agreed with Mr. Burke that the political will to deliver green growth is lacking and that, in the absence of clear policy signals, governents risk choking their econoies. For Mr. Zenghelis, innovation is, or should be, the driving force behind sustainable growth, arguing that we need to create new inputs whilst radically changing the way we consue things. For exaple, developed countries should be looking to reduce consuption levels fro 15 tonnes of CO 2 per person per year to one or two tonnes (i.e. to about the sae levels as India). Europe s eissions reduction goal should be set at 30 % rather than 20 %. Reassuringly, in recent years, there has been ore investent in renewables than in conventional energy, generating up to 50 % growth in soe areas. What we need now, Mr. Zenghelis believes, is a ore abitious policy fraework to support this growth. To Murley, Head of Renewable Energy, HgCapital (United Kingdo), talked about his own experiences of investing in renewables, focusing, like To Burke and Diitri Zenghelis, on infrastructure and the need for planning and consistent policyaking. Investors in clean energy deand (but do not always get) stable regulation of prices; a predictable planning regie; access to a distribution grid; a supply chain that works; and a diverse, long-ter pool of capital. Yet Britain s scorecard is not good, and Mr. Murley referred to the fact that, in England, there is no offshore grid and that 25 % of wind far applications After the financial crisis: Green growth? Type of event Seinar Dates 20 July 2010 Location London United Kingdo Supported by CentreForu Moviento Liberal Social (MLS) Foru for Refors, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (FORES) Events e 24 25

13 are turned down. As things stand, renewable energy sources like wind and bioass are expensive and relatively unproductive. So while in the current cliate energy copanies ight be opportunity rich, they are generally cash poor and unable to ove into the renewables sector. In his concluding rearks, Mr. Murley argued that governents need to provide ore capital if green growth is to becoe a reality. The final speaker, Jakob Rutqvist, Environent Prograe Director, FORES (Sweden), questioned the role of governent in green growth, suggesting that this can be achieved at a icro-econoic level. He also argued that cliate change is only part of the proble. We ust take tie to exaine the biophysical liits within which huan beings live. How uch growth can our planet actually take? And what further etrics should we consider beyond GDP? The panel was also asked how pension and insurance funds could be given incentives to invest in green technology. Mr. Murley argued that the ajor proble is erely that green technology investents are currently ore risky or less profitable than conventional investents. Pension and insurance funds want to invest in long-ter projects, but ones that offer a reasonable return for a sall aount of risk, unlike venture capital funds or hedge funds. In order to ake green technology projects ore attractive, governents would have to subsidise investent revenues or underwrite risk, which could entail a large fiscal cost. The panel disagreed on the extent to which econoic arguents could be used to persuade the public. Mr. Burke suggested that econoics obscured the crisis, encouraging governents to tinker with econoic incentives instead of taking serious action. Mr. Zenghelis argued that econoics is a crucial analytical tool for identifying the costs of cliate change, and the cheapest and ost efficient way to itigate these costs. But, they agreed, as all the panel did, that the largest obstacle to solving the proble was political will, not the lack of technological, econoic or scientific instruents. Jakob Rutqvist, Diitri Zenghelis, John Springford, To Burke, To Murley left to right During the question and answer session, the panel was asked how to consider the proble of collective action. How do we design institutions to deal with this proble? Mr. Rutqvist argued that we should introduce a public goods variable and establish a co-ordination body aong the G20 eber states. Mr. Burke countered that all parties at the Copenhagen suit on cliate change lacked the political will to do so. Fundaentally, we ust ask what the current ratio of high carbon to low carbon investent is, recognise that developing econoies have different needs to developed econoies and that the developed world needs to lead the way. Mr. Zenghelis agreed, arguing that China is not the villain. No country will ove unless it feels change is in its best interests. Green growth has to be driven by the developed world and is a pre-requisite for a global deal. Events 26 27

14 Liberal Acadey 2010: Challenging the European integration standstill e Type of event Seinar Dates August 2010 Location Brussels Belgiu Supported by ELDR Party Kenniscentru D66 Fondazione Critica Liberale Proetheus Liberaal Kennis Centru (Proetheus) The event brought together Liberal-thinking students and young people fro across Europe to challenge and discuss European Liberal positions on the future of European integration. Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake (ALDE) discussed the role, opportunities and liitations of parliaentary work at the European level and highlighted the working echaniss of transnational parliaentary groups. Geran MEP Dr. Jorgo Chatziarkakis (ALDE), and Geran econoist, Kai Lücke, dissected the detail of the financial rescue package for EU eber states following the debt crisis in Greece. Views were exchanged as to whether the Greek rescue package took place in line with the provisions of the EU Treaty and whether this case has set a precedent enabling other bankrupt countries to be bailed out by the other EU ebers. Special ephasis was put on the iportance of strengthening the Stability and Growth Pact to avoid siilar scenarios in the future. Participants generally agreed that these kind of cases could seriously endanger the functioning (if not the whole existence) of the euro as a currency and the EU s econoic stability as a whole. Alexander Plahr, LYMEC President, and Giulio Ercolessi, Fondazione Critica Liberale (Italy), discussed the changes to the EU s political syste that would be necessary following the institutional changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. Federica Sabbati, ELDR Party Secretary General, and MEP Andrew Duff, British Liberal Deocrats, talked with students about the opportunities and challenges for true European political parties and about whether elections to the European Parliaent could take place on the basis of EU-wide constituencies. Discourse with decision akers in the European Parliaent breakdowns in the financial sector. Against this background, he elaborated on the easures needed to lead the EU out of its current structural crisis and how to overcoe the standstill in European integration. He also ephasised the crucial role that Liberals played in the process of negotiations on the new European supervisory architecture for the financial sector. MEP Anneie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, ELDR Party President, ELF Vice-President and foreign policy expert, discussed the students own proposals with regard to the EU s future enlargeent and its role in the world. The influence of individual European states globally is negligible. In the future, global political decisions will be iposed on Europe if the EU is not able to go beyond the positions of single eber states and if the states theselves do not exploit the benefits of being in a union with other states. Siilarly, Europe s ilitary weight has reained largely ineffective and alost irrelevant in ters of political influence. The discussion showed that there is unanious agreeent aong the students on this view of the status quo of Europe s role in the world. However, it proved ore challenging to find coon ground on how to find the right answers. Split opinions as to whether to create a joint European ary, or instead, whether to pool ilitary resources, were syptoatic of the difficulty in finding solutions and this difficulty irrored discussions aong the EU s elected leaders on the subject. MEP Guy Verhofstadt, Liberal group leader of the European Parliaent, provided his group s view on the necessary structural changes to prevent future systeic Throughout the seinar, students were provided with aple opportunities to reflect on their discussions with Europe s top Liberal politicians during working group sessions. These sessions enabled the to discuss questions such as: what refors should the EU undertake in order to becoe a functional actor and to exploit its potential? Where do we want the EU to go? Is Europe erely an adinistrative union serving econoic purposes, such as extending the single arket, or does it want to go further than that, and with who? What are the borders of the Union? In the final session, participants held intense discussions to agree the crucial developents needed in order to see the eergence of the Europe they want. There was considerable agreeent on the practical benefits of EU integration in areas such as the coon currency, free oveent and the benefits of transnational education. However, areas such as oving towards greater econoic integration or a European ary were uch ore controversial. The event proved to be very successful and the students encouraged the organisers to hold ore events of this kind, which provide citizens with the chance to eet European politicians in person to discuss iportant issues not sufficiently discussed in the doestic arena. Events 28 29

15 Huan rights in the EU in the context of the War on Terror e Type of event Lecture Dates 27 Septeber 2010 Location Lisbon Portugal Supported by Moviento Liberal Social (MLS) Fundació Catalanista i Deòcrata (Fundació CatDe) It is widely accepted that various EU eber states have ade progress in ters of protecting huan rights in recent decades and that this trend has had an ipact on the positions taken by the European Parliaent and on agreeents between the EU and other states. However, there is still a lot to be done. Soeties, the criteria that the EU applies to third countries are not fully respected inside the EU. This is the sort of situation which could endanger the EU s oral authority. It is also accepted that, owing to econoic interests, the EU does not pressure other countries as uch as it should in ters of huan rights. The ai of the panel discussion organised by the ELF was to discuss the ipact of the War on Terror on huan rights in the EU, analyse what has happened in the past, what the existing situation is, and what is currently being discussed in the European Parliaent and at the national level. Professor Leonidas Donskis, ALDE MEP (Lithuania), focused his speech on the role of the European Parliaent in the area of huan rights and on the iportance of huan rights as a universal value. Progress on huan rights has clearly been ade in the EU. For exaple, capital punishent has been abolished in all eber states. Professor Donskis defended the view that the EU should use its soft power to proote huan rights worldwide. He also ephasised the iportance of instruents such as the Sakharov Prize for Freedo of Thought for the prootion of huan rights. Professor Donskis concluded his speech by highlighting the key role of the European Parliaent in the defence of huan rights and the fact that huan rights are a fundaental value of the EU. collaborated in it. People involved in terroris are criinals and should be treated as criinals. However, for it to succeed, cobating terroris should not be seen as a war, but as a uch broader fight against terroris. Only when governents learn fro the istakes ade with the extraordinary rendition prograe will it be possible to fight terroris effectively. MEP Rui Tavares (Portugal), European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), illustrated how the SWIFT agreeent between the EU and the USA has enabled historical data on any custoer banking transaction in the EU to be transferred to the USA. This agreeent is an exaple of how privacy can be endangered by the War on Terror. The issue was treated with an excessive aount of secrecy. Even MEPs were not able to access all the inforation they needed to check the data transfers and to ascertain whether too uch private inforation had been shared with insufficient justification. It was also an agreeent without reciprocity and which Mr. Tavares believed allowed too any people to access the private inforation of European citizens. Dr. Christa Meindersa, Deputy Director of The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, focused on the fact that a significant nuber of laws, easures and regulations have been put in place to cobat terroris and that they restrict individuals freedos. She also raised doubts about the effectiveness of these laws, easures and regulations. Many of these easures have been widely criticised nationally and internationally and could encroach on the privacy of European citizens. It is worrying that these easures are ipleented to target threats that any reports consider to be low risk and that the laws have not been re-evaluated after a certain period of tie. Before adopting new laws, privacy and security ipact assessents should be carried out. She also noted that the public discourse needs to be changed, as, for the ordinary citizen, the typical answer to questions of restrictions on freedos and privacy is if you have nothing to hide, why all the fuss about huan rights? MEP Ana Goes (Portugal), Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Deocrats (S&D), outlined the extraordinary rendition of suspects during the War on Terror. The extraordinary rendition prograe was designed to interrogate terrorist suspects outside US territory so that the US authorities could not be held responsible for any huan rights violations. It enabled the widespread abuse of huan rights worldwide. Many European governents knew about and MEP Professor Leonidas Donskis, Pedro Krupenski, MEP Ana Goes, MEP Rui Tavares left to right In conclusion, huan rights are part of Europe s values today but Europe should reain critical of itself. Before adopting new laws, privacy and security assessents should be ade. Privacy should always be taken into consideration when aking new laws. The first obligation of a state based on the rule of law is to respect fundaental laws. If Europe does not respect this principle, it could end up without freedo or security, handing victory to the terrorists. However, broadly speaking, the EU can be regarded as a success story in ters of huan rights. Events 30 31

16 Life chances in Europe e Type of event Seinar Dates 1 October 2010 Location Brussels Belgiu Supported by Bertil Ohlin Institutet CentreForu Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting On the occasion of the presentation of the book Life chances in Europe, the ELF invited four of the book s authors to Brussels: Professor Ingeund Hägg, Bertil Ohlin Institutet (Sweden), Alasdair Murray, forer Director of CentreForu (United Kingdo), Dr. Francesco Velo, researcher (Italy), Dr. Fleur de Beaufort, Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting (The Netherlands) and Leszek Jażdewżki, editor-in-chief of Liberté! journal (Poland). On the situation in Great Britain, Mr. Murray said that social obility continues to be at the forefront of public debate, including under the new coalition governent. Liberal Deocrat policies include greater investent in early years education, deprivation funding for the neediest children and the expansion of vocational and work-based education. Dr. Velo focused on higher education and argued that the enhanceent of the European integration process calls for social obility in the overall European arena, not just the individual countries. A social fraework for obility at the European level is a prerequisite for the iproved life chances of European citizens. Subsidiarity can actually be sustained by a coon fraework for higher education in Europe. potential to ake eaningful choices over the course of one s life. Equality of opportunity, the reoval of obstacles to aking eaningful choices and the reoval of obstacles to obility in society are urgent tasks. People should have the opportunity to follow their dreas and to ake use of their capabilities. We need to question the assuptions about the individual that currently underpin the ajority of social obility research and debate. Dr. de Beaufort continued by stressing the need to end the poverty trap, i.e. the reality that welfare can pay ore than work. In The Netherlands, the VVD party wants to refor social security, for exaple, with a participation law, obliging people living on social security to work in return. Education is also a priority and Dutch Liberals seek to reduce the school drop-out rate. Fair life chances for all is their policy focus. Mr. Jażdewżki saw Poland as a fragented nation fro the point of view of social obility, not least because of cultural differences. Social cohesion is necessary and iproving access to social services such as healthcare, education and culture should be part of the fight against social exclusion. Leszek Jażdewżki, Alasdair Murray, Professor Ingeund Hägg, Dr. Fleur de Beaufort, Dr. Francesco Velo left to right For Sweden, Professor Hägg noted that studies showing the length of tie people are trapped in probleatic situations, such as being a single other, were not included in social obility studies. He thus underlined a need for longitudinal studies. The discussion that followed the presentations was lively. Issues such as the need for social cohesion, geographical obility, iigration and equal opportunity versus equal outcoes were discussed. Individual life chances in focus Underlying the presentations in the book is the conviction that increasing life chances for individuals is a core task for Liberal policy. Life chances equal the These assuptions include: > That everyone wants to clib the ladder. But, not everyone does. > That individuals have one goal, that of clibing the ladder as far as possible. Liberals would want to respect the goals chosen by the individuals theselves. These goals can vary and there can be several of the. > That the ladder is predefined. Classes are assued to exist in reality and they are assued to exist in a hierarchy. The hierarchies set the conditions and restrictions for individual actions. The individuals are assued to be passively adapting to given conditions. But, there could be other bonds or contexts that individuals regard as ore iportant for their life chances: bonds or contexts defined and chosen by the individuals theselves, giving eaning to their choices. Events 32 33

17 Five challenges for Liberal policy > Liberal policy should ake efforts to diinish the role of constraining bonds (such as ethnicity, religion, sect etc). It should try to change the widely-shared view that classes and occupational hierarchies have an independent existence, instead of their being erely convention. > Liberal policy should proote equality of opportunity but accept inequality of outcoe, within reasonable liits, and as long as this does not hurt social cohesion in a society. Such inequality of outcoe is a sign of dynais and vitality in an open liberal society. > Liberal policy should proote civil society without interfering in the autonoy of organisations in civil society. This is because a dynaic civil society is the ain way to give eaning to individual actions and choices. > Public debate should forulate questions that are relevant to individual life chances, with the ai of stiulating new types of social obility research ephasising longitudinal studies. > Liberal policy should prioritise pre-school and early school education so as to iprove the long-run life chances of individuals. This should be cobined with support for deprived failies with sall children. No other easures can copete with heavily-increased investent in the education of the very young if we want to iprove life chances in our societies. While it is possible to debate in-depth the aount of power that the EU should have and the desirability of any specific easures endorsed by European institutions, no one would dispute at least not openly that the EU ust be deocratic. Although the Treaty of Lisbon contains four articles that appear to provide for proper deocratic accountability, there is uneasiness and even dissatisfaction with regard to deocratic standards in the EU. For the ajority of citizens, Europe is, and continues to be, very reote. When asked what they think of when they hear the words European Union, they are ore likely to refer to the EU as costly and bureaucratic than they are to ention such concepts as freedo and deocracy. No one can nor should they reain indifferent to these perceptions. The question is therefore: what is the best way to ensure the deocratic accountability of the EU? Along with several related issues, this question was addressed during a seinar on active citizenship and deocratic accountability organised by the ELF in Helsinki. During the seinar, the ELF publication Deocracy in Europe: of the People, by the People, for the People?, was presented by Dr. Patrick van Schie, Director of the Dutch think tank, Prof.r B.M. Teldersstichting and one of the book s editors. As the subtitle reveals, the faous description of deocratic governent by US President Abraha Lincoln was the book s starting point. In his short Gettysburg Address on 19 Noveber 1863, Lincoln spoke of a governent of the people, by the people, for the people. While it is clear that EU policies have to serve the citizen (intended to be for the people), no Liberal should be satisfied with politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels ruling fro the perspective of We know (better than you do) what is good for you. Governent by the people can take any fors. It is now clear that the traditional representative eans alone will not generate enough trust aong citizens. For Liberals, governent of the citizens should be the highest objective, but in the EU, it is also the ost difficult to achieve by far because the EU did not coe into existence following a deeply, broadly and strongly expressed desire on the part of European citizens. Instead, it was initiated by a relatively sall group of politicians and enthusiastic citizens and then shaped alost exclusively fro the top. Active citizenship and deocratic accountability in the EU e Type of event Conference Dates 13 October 2010 Location Helsinki Finland Supported by Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting Lokus Think tank e2 The conference was chaired by Professor Christoffer Grönhol, Chairan of Lokus (Finland). After a short welcoe by Dr. Thierry Cooseans on behalf of the ELF, Minister Astrid Thors, Finland s current Minister of Migration and European Affairs, gave a speech on the question of how representative deocracy can be kept alive in the odern world. For Minister Thors, direct deocracy is not the solution. On the contrary, the ore pressure is put on representative deocracy, the ore we should trust and invest in this principle. In her opinion, direct deocracy can easily be hijacked by what she called dark forces such as racis, or ultiately the neglect of fundaental citizens rights. Direct deocracy is Events 34 35

18 currently even abused by certain political parties to put issues on the political agenda and increase their own popularity. Minister Thors favours participatory deocracy, where there is a need to attract and involve educated people as the citizens initiative-takers, so that this ight generate a coon political agenda. This pessiistic view of direct deocracy is not shared by Dr. van Schie, who delivered the second speech of the conference. In his speech, he concentrated on the question of whether the referendu and Liberal ideology are copatible. According to Dr. van Schie, referenda are not only easy to endorse, on Liberal grounds, as a useful addition to the representative syste, but even erit a recoendation. No power without countervailing power, not even a parliaent, should ignore this fundaental rule. Furtherore, if a profound and long-ter difference of opinion arises between the electorate and those elected to govern concerning the ost fundaental atters, those elected cannot, and should not, ignore this difference of opinion in a liberal deocracy. Voters ust then have the last word. away fro the central state. As such, the principle is based on a fundaental distinction between the individual, the state and society. In essence, subsidiarity eans that we have to try to find the solutions to political, social and econoic probles in the ost private and the ost local fraework possible. This is also the precondition of functioning direct deocratic institutions. The conference concluded with a panel discussion involving the speakers and the audience. It becae clear during the discussion that Liberals hold very different opinions about the use of referenda as a way to increase deocratic accountability. Soe participants shared the fears expressed by Minister Thors in her speech, in certain cases based on experiences in their hoe countries. Others in line with Dr. van Schie and Dr. Nef showed ore confidence in individual voters and the countervailing powers within a deocracy. Dr. Thierry Cooseans, Professor Christoffer Grönhol, Minister Astrid Thors, Dr. Patrick van Schie left to right Dr. Robert Nef, Chairan of the Liberal Institute in Zürich, Switzerland, spoke on the subject of the Swiss experient with non-centralis. After soe rearks on the Swiss situation, Dr. Nef explained why the Swiss experience, with direct deocracy, cobined with noncentralis, local governent and local taxation, can be regarded as a success story. Coon probles should always be solved at the lowest possible level: the private or the local counity. This is called the principle of subsidiarity. The higher level should step in only if social and political support is required fro below. Swiss subsidiarity draws on a healthy scepticis with regard to the centre and this kind of subsidiarity requires power to be taken Events 36 37

19 Could igration defuse Europe s deographic tiebob? e Type of event Seinar Dates 14 October 2010 Location Helsinki Finland Supported by CentreForu Stichting Internationaal Deocratisch Initiatief (Stichting IDI) The ELF organised a seinar over breakfast entitled Could iigration defuse Europe s deographic tie-bob? at the ELDR Party Congress in Helsinki in October Congress delegates fro eleven countries attended the eeting. The eeting was organised with the support of CentreForu and Stichting IDI. It was chaired by Anthony Rowlands, Director of Events, CentreForu. Discussions were led by three speakers: ALDE MEP Graha Watson set the tone of the debate with a speech in which he argued that igration is a necessity if Europe s econoies are to survive an ageing population, although it is not the only solution. As such, MEP Watson highlighted the need for a forward-thinking policy on iigration that would achieve solidarity and cultural cohesiveness through diversity. Governents, he argued, ust show how progressive policies in the areas of uneployent, social welfare and education are the best ways to deal with iigration and deographic changes. This could also involve an ephasis on iigrants rights and obligations, enabling the to be soothly integrated into society. The EU has already put in place policies to reduce global inequalities through security and developent prograes, which ai to reduce excessive igration and curtail the brain drain. also take on health and social care jobs that native Europeans are often unwilling to take. Mr. Legrain was also the first speaker to point out how igration boosts growth through flexible labour arkets and that it fosters innovation and enterprise as igrants are often a inority of young, hard-working individuals. But, he argued, countries needed vigorous antidiscriination laws, flexible labour arkets and needed to encourage social obility to reap these benefits. He also presented recent research on social policy and iigration to show that there is no obvious correlation between ethnic hoogeneity and the size of the welfare state. He concluded that Europe needed to allow ore igrants in and that it needed to ake the ost of the talent that is already there. Next to speak was Professor Han Entzinger, Departent of Sociology, Erasus University of Rotterda. He provided a balanced analysis of the ain arguents for and against iigration as a solution to the deographic crisis. In ters of arguents for iigration, he noted that igrants are younger than the average population, go on to have ore children and contribute to the social security syste. Yet igrants tend to age in the country to which they eigrated, thereby failing to itigate the issue of an ageing population. Furtherore the nuber of igrants contributing to social security clais is dependent on jobs being available, which can generate social tension. Professor Entzinger used detailed statistical analyses to show that iigration alone could not solve the EU s deographic probles. Based on his findings, he suggested a nuber of alternatives to igration in order to stave off an econoic crisis. These included a rise in fertility levels, together with new governent policies, such as increased labour force participation, postponing retireent, increasing productivity (e.g. the autoation of production processes), transferring low-yield jobs to low-wage countries and the selective use of labour igration. ELDR delegates attending ELF eeting at the Congress The final speaker was Philippe Legrain, a British econoist, journalist and author. He highlighted four approaches to tackling deographic change. These were, to get ore people of working age into work; to encourage people to retire later; to find ways to boost investent and productivity; and to attract ore igrant workers. He conceded that iigration alone would not solve the deographic proble but pointed to the ability of iigration to deal with the probles associated with the retireent of the baby booer generation over the next twenty years. Migrants are not only net contributors to public finances but they Events 38 39

20 Liberal answers to the global econoic crisis e Type of event Conference Workshops Dates Noveber 2010 Location Vilnius Lithuania Supported by Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo (FNF) Think tank e2 The Liberal answers to the global econoic crisis conference was launched by the Prie Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Minister Andrius Kubilius. After his welcoe address, the representatives of the two ain organisers, ELF board eber Dr. Eugenijus Gentvilas, and Dr. Borek Severa, the representative in Central Europe and the Baltic States for the Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo (FNF), also welcoed all the speakers and guests. The first part of the conference focussed on a question that has been widely debated over the last year: how should we respond to the econoic crisis: with stiulus policies or with austerity prograes? Dr. Ján Oravec, President of the F. A. Hayek Foundation and President of the Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia, outlined his perspective on the reasons for the crisis: biased coverage in the edia, the state onopoly of oney supply and its price level, a latent anti-capitalist entality and inadequate politicians. He stated his concerns on the enorous increase in spending on the elderly. Thus, preparing credible strategies to cut future expenditure via significant efforts to reduce health, pension and old-age care liabilities are crucial. His ain essage and final conclusion was very clear: Europe ust wake up and ove fro wealth redistribution to wealth creation. Mark Wallace, Senior Fellow of the TaxPayers Alliance, presented the ain arguents of the Alliance, which strongly opposes all tax rises and EU tax haronisation and criticises wasteful and unnecessary spending. Kalev Kalleets, Acadey of Liberalis, explained why austerity is necessary. He analysed why Estonia was able to coe out of the crisis stronger to subsequently becoe a new eurozone eber. According to hi, the ain reason is Estonia s culture of thrift. Also, given the strong right-wing governent and weak labour unions, Estonia had been increasing its stabilisation reserve, its health fund reserve, its labour office reserve and its pension insurance reserve even during the crisis years of 2007 to The first panel was concluded by Ingrida Šionytė, Lithuania s Minister of Finance, who pointed out a seeingly self-evident fact: that governents cannot spend ore oney than they are able to get fro taxpayers. She also illustrated the structure of Lithuania s budget in detail. The second part of the conference focused on the future of the euro. Dr. Jörg Guido Hülsann, discussed what should be done to avert a future crisis. The first prerequisite is to change the onetary syste. In the best case, there should be free copetition in oney and banking. The second-best solution would be a new gold standard. This syste would not be iune fro crises but it would be uch better than the current syste. In any case, any such return to a sounder onetary syste would entail deflation and assive financial defaults that would also spill over into the real econoy. Uneployent would increase in the short ter but in the ediu ter (three years) and the long-ter prospects would be incoparably better than at present. Juraj Droba, eber of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, presented a highly controversial topic: the bailout of Greece and Slovakia s refusal to take part in it. He explained that, in his view, a bailout could never work like a edicine, but that it fosters oral hazard, it breaches EU treaties and discredits the whole European fraework for Monetary Union and, last but not least, it is a transfer fro taxpayers to rich corporations and banks. As to future developents, he rearked that Greece will ost probably not be able to pay its debts in three years and the bailout just gives it a teporary lifeline. As an alternative solution, he proposed a no bailout policy which would let the financial arkets speak. This solution would avoid creating a highly dangerous precedent of oral hazard and it would also ean the end of the illusion of a social state that hands out gifts indiscriinately. This contribution was followed by a speech by Rūta Vainienė, Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) President. She focused on the question of whether Lithuania should seek entry into the euro in the near future. According to her, the ain political priority should be fiscal discipline. Professor Raūnas Vilpšauskas, Director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University, gave a presentation and spoke on the EU s copetitiveness policy. In his view, the crisis in Europe was caused by huge governent spending and a lack of structural refor. The conference was concluded with a joint discussion between all the speakers and guests on one ain question: where do we go fro here and how? The ain points of the discussion were that the future of the euro depends on public finances in the eurozone being controlled. The current euro crisis was caused by the isanageent of public finances and so further austerity is crucial. In conclusion, the eurozone is currently not as attractive as it used to be for those EU countries not currently ebers of the eurozone. The workshops were organised as a series of lectures and practical exercises for a selected group of alost 60 attendees. Their ai was to provide students of econoics and econoic professionals with an opportunity to delve into aspects of econoic analysis by presenting the ethodology of the Austrian school of econoics and its ajor insights. The ai was to strengthen the school s voice in the public discussions undertaken during the prograe. The workshops were led by proinent Lithuanian and foreign econoists, policy analysts and theorists. They covered a whole range of topics. In the first session, LFMI s Dr. Kęstutis Kėvalas discussed the relationship between the arket and Christianity. The next topic was the developent and role of private property, presented by Lithuania s Minister of Justice Dr. Reigijus Šiašius. One of the core aspects discussed was the need for private property in order to prevent conflicts in a society with a liited aount of resources. Later, Žilvinas Šilėnas, LFMI, explained the role of the price echanis, which he considers one of the greatest inventions of huankind. The workshop then went on to focus on the ethodology as elaborated by the Austrian school, (teleology in huan behaviour, role of beliefs and intentions, praxeology etc.) in a lecture given by Dr. Algirdas Degutis, LFMI. His colleague, Dr. Šiašius, later paid a great deal of attention to explaining coon fallacies present in the ainstrea concepts of copetition and copetition law. Dr. Hülsann gave Events 40 41

21 a presentation on the division of labour and the fundaental role of savings in roundabout ethods of production. Mr. Wallace then presented the activities of the TaxPayers Alliance capaign and focused on the grassroots aspects of the UK organisation. During the session on practical tasks, participants were involved in creating new capaigns against the bailout of Irish governent debt. Kalev Kalleets presented a case study on reducing governent spending in Estonia. Dr. Hülsann then gave detailed lectures on arket principles (value, pricing, arbitrage) and on wealth creation in a onetary econoy. Giedrius Kadziauskas, LFMI, presented his ideas on the role of econoists and of think tanks in society. Later, LFMI s concept of reforing the state social security syste was presented by Kaetana Leontjeva. It was followed by a lecture by Ms. Vainienė on the theory of oney and econoic calculation, introducing the audience to the basics of banking theory: fractional reserve banking, change of oney supply and its iplications. The final lecture was given by Professor Josef Šía, University of Econoics, Prague, who focused on the theory of business cycles, on the types of governent intervention and on public goods and externalities. The ELF Internal Market seinar was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, fro Noveber The goal of this seinar was to discuss the internal arket, which has been one of the cornerstones of European Integration in past decades. The construction of a arket with nearly half a billion consuers has proved to be the engine behind econoic growth in the EU. The seinar discussed ways to inject new energy into the internal arket and what still reains to be done in achieving its full potential. The seinar was opened by Felicita Medved, ELF Board eber, and Vedrana Gujic, LYMEC political officer. Key lecturers were Draško Veselinovič, forer chief executive officer of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange and Dr. Darko Štrajn, president of the party LDS (Liberalna Deokracija Slovenije) and researcher at the Educational Research Institute (ERI). During the event several workshops were held and as a result of the seinar a resolution on the internal arket was drafted. Please find below the seinar thee resolution Liberal ideas on the future of the Single Market. The four freedos of the EU have been its cornerstone and the driving force behind European unity and integration since the Treaty of Roe. The achieveents in realising these freedos have been considerable and the Union has been successful in its constant efforts to eliinate physical, technical and tax barriers. At the end of this process is the eventual realisation of a fully-integrated European Hoe Market. Internal arket e Type of event Seinar Dates Noveber 2010 Location Ljubljana Slovenia Supported by European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) Fundacija Libertas However, the internal arket is as yet still incoplete. We believe that the future success of the internal arket is also linked to its extension, therefore LYMEC reaffirs its coitent to support enlargeent of the EU to its axiu viable boundaries. Maxiu extension also refers to current EU/EEA Meber States, which we urge to coply with ipleentation of existing directives. Infringeent procedures need to be ore efficient and a proper echanis for the penalisation of non-copliance should be introduced. Furtherore, derogations, exceptions and opt-outs are often additional obstacles and should be re-evaluated and reoved. Dr. Eugenijus Gentvilas, eber of the ELF Board of Directors Whereas haronisation, especially the haronisation of standards, is an iportant part of the realisation of the freedos, it should not be self-serving. The EU needs to iprove the new legislative fraework to cobat overregulation. Also, LYMEC supports the Coission s initiative for a European patent syste. On the issue of taxation, LYMEC reiterates its coitent to tax copetition. Currently, the EU does not have the copetence to regulate direct taxation. However, Value Added Tax (VAT) is regulated through the VAT directive, through which the EU subsequently regulates the rates of VAT taxes in eber countries. The syste is coplicated and adds heavily to the adinistrative and regulative burden of European businesses. It also legislates for powerful special interests to acquire exeptions, which is counter to the entire idea of the directive, naely to Events 42 43

22 Felicita Medved, eber of the ELF Board of Directors haronise taxation. LYMEC therefore proposes that the EU VAT directive should be abolished. However, this does not ean that EU countries cannot ake voluntary VAT agreeents aongst theselves. In addition, LYMEC supports the Coon Corporate Tax Base (CCTB) to increase tax copetition while liiting the adinistrative burden on copanies operating in the EU. Opposing the idea of a new European debt arket, LYMEC rejects any notion of introducing Eurobonds, as for instance suggested by the Coission. The internal arket ust not be used as a protectionist tool in trade with third countries. Instead, Europe needs to focus on standards pertaining to huan rights and production ethods. Environental concerns need to be taken ore seriously and integrated into internal arket policy and ust be reconciled with the free arket principles we are coitted to. We especially advocate the inclusion of environental aspects in public procureent to ensure sustainability and work towards reaching abitious eission reduction targets. LYMEC proposes a central organisation to haronise banking requireents in order to achieve free obility for all EU citizens in banking services. This should lead to a single, free European banking arket. Finally, LYMEC wishes to point out the lack of liberalisation of crossborder services in Europe and calls for a new coprehensive Services Directive which would encopass any services of general interest, as well as the principle of origin. This high-level seinar was attended by 150 people, who represented a wide variety of participants, including ebers of Haya van Soerenstichting VVD International, Proetheus, VVD and D66 Dutch Liberal parties, policy institutions, students and international representatives of civic and political organisations. The ai of the seinar was to discuss what role the EU should play in supporting deocratisation processes around the world. Deocracy support is a relatively new instruent in foreign affairs, and has been increasingly ipleented during the last few decades. In the early nineties, the spotlight was ainly on free and fair elections, with Europe ainly focusing on observing elections. Panellist MEP Anneie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, President of the ELDR Party and Vice President of the ELF, described this focus solely on elections as naïve. Just because a country holds elections every few years, this does not ean that it autoatically has a well-functioning deocracy. In the late nineties, deocracy support policies shifted fro a focus on elections to ore long-ter support for transition deocracies. The EU has also started to focus ore on deocracy and good governance in its developent strategy. However, it has concentrated its activities on supporting huan rights and the accountability of local governents. The experience in the CEE countries and the national or intergovernental initiatives to support deocracies ore directly, like the Dutch, Canadian and Finnish ulti-party institutes and the International Institute for Deocracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), has increased the pressure on the EU to develop a European strategy on deocracy support. Uri Rosenthal, Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs, underscored the iportance of this policy at the European level and ephasised that the EU has an iportant role in supporting deocratisation processes. However, he stressed that deocracy should grow fro within countries. The inister pointed out that the courageous people who raise their voices in countries with repressive regies are those who should be supported. Finally, an iportant condition for this new strategy is that it will result in concrete actions. This last point was also recognised by MEP Neyts-Uyttebroeck and Arjen Berkvens, Chairan of the European Network of Political foundations (ENOP). They both said that strategy papers are necessary, but the conversion to concrete actions is even ore necessary. MEP Hans van Baalen, President of the Liberal International federation of Liberal parties, said that political parties are already being supported not only bilaterally by ideologically-based political organisations, but also by ulti-party organisations such as the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Deocracy. However, funding political parties is the difficult part. The panellists stressed the iportance of public financing for political organisations and therefore ephasised the need to have transparent public funding of political party support by, for instance, the Should deocratisation be a key pillar of EU foreign policy? Type of event Seinar Dates 27 Noveber 2010 Location Scheveningen The Netherlands Supported by Haya van Soerenstichting VVD International Proetheus Liberaal Kennis Centru (Proetheus) Events e 44 45

23 EU or eber states. The other even ore delicate issue is the transparency of the support given to political parties in the various countries. Support given to political parties should be undertaken by political organisations without directly financing the, but ainly by sharing knowledge and best practices. Projects should be sall and based on direct contact between politicians. The discussion raised the question as to how this kind of support could be provided without iposing deocracy on the countries. At the end of the conference, a resolution was adopted with soe inor adjustents. For the resolution, please consult the ELF website. The ELF organised two successive seinar days in Visé and Maastricht to address the developent of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, which groups together the provinces of Liège and Liburg in Belgiu, the Geranspeaking counity in Belgiu, the province of Liburg in the Netherlands and the district of Aachen in Gerany. Opening the proceedings of the first day, Dr. Thierry Cooseans, eber of the ELF Board of Directors, ephasised the evident shared interests which have enabled the psychological barriers, which all too often prevent genuine crossborder dialogue, to be overcoe. Michel Foret, Governor of the province of Liège, then gave a presentation on the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. Established in 1976, the area encopasses 10,400 k², 4 illion inhabitants, four universities, 19 post-secondary education schools, 201,000 businesses (90 % of which are SMEs), three languages and all anner of institutional and cultural differences. As he stressed, all this constitutes a cross-border reality at the heart of Europe s ost industrialised region. The Meuse-Rhine Euroregion should also be acknowledged for receiving European credits since 1991 thanks to the four initial Interreg prograes (budget: 371 illion), facilitating 378 projects which directly ipact the daily life of citizens, for instance, in the real of security. Liberalis across the borders: A citizen s dialogue in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion e Type of event Conference Dates 1 2 Deceber 2010 Location Visé Belgiu Maastricht The Netherlands Supported by Centre Jean Gol Kenniscentru D66 He concluded by stating our current objective is to obtain a fifth block of Interreg credits to add depth to all current projects and develop a strategic vision facilitating ore partnerships between the ain urban centres of Maastricht, Aachen, Hasselt, Eupen and Liège, as well as to enable the public to find out ore about this regional reality. MEP Anneie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, ELDR President, ELF Vice-President cc by-sa Sebastiaan ter Burg The oderator Arthur Bodson, Managing Director, Centre Jean Gol, noted that no other area in Europe has four universities in such close proxiity to each other. Unfortunately, the potential this offers is not being sufficiently exploited, due priarily to language barriers. Fortunately, joint projects are still being undertaken, particularly in the field of edicine. Marcel Neven, Mayor of Visé, was delighted by the collaborative partnership between Belgiu and the Netherlands in finding a solution to the Lanaye lock issue, which is vital for the developent of river transport in the area. It is a positive exaple of what we can achieve together, he stressed, while hoping at another level for closer and ore intensive contacts in future between Belgian and Dutch Liberals, which would be in everyone s interest. Gilles Foret, Director of the Liège Port Authority, also stressed the iportance of river ports and notably the port of Liège, which handles 13 illion tonnes of goods, directly eploys 12,000 people and indirectly eploys 16,000 and Events 46 47

24 which serves as a natural inland port for the aritie ports of Rotterda and Antwerp. He continued: while this deonstrates the value of Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, we ust continue to iprove our joint arketing, speak with a single, coon voice, and present ourselves to the outside world in a way that further prootes our success. After Viviane Dessart, Visé town councillor, presented the Montagne St Pierre joint tourist project one of the projects realised thanks in part to Interreg credits Jurgen Moors, Meuse-Rhine Euroregion /International Affairs advisor, Liburg Chaber of Coerce, Netherlands, closed the debates on this first day by congratulating the participants on the excellent collaborative relationship between the various Chabers of Coerce incorporated under the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion ubrella. In particular, the joint activities have reduced costs and brought people together who would otherwise not have had an opportunity to eet, enabled projects to be created together and ensured greater awareness of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. All in all, the eeting in Maastricht proved a terrific practical exaple of how a political party functions as a social institution and as a oveent of citizens who, based on a shared vision of people and the world, eet to discuss and coent on social issues, supported in the endeavour by experts and politicians, are able to return hoe at the end of the evening with a ore grounded understanding of how public adinistration can be influenced. During the second evening, which was oderated by Frank van Mil, Kenniscentru D66, researchers, adinistrators and experts reviewed cross-border enterprise between Maastricht (Liburg) and Liège (Wallonia). It was clear that the initiative appealed to the audience and businesses represented. However, there appear to be any invisible bottlenecks to crossborder enterprise attributable to differences in language (French-Dutch) and culture (How do you deal with agreeents? Affir a relationship? Perceive contracts?). Dr. Bart Paashuis, Dr. Mirja Ubachs, researchers at Maastricht University and Hogeschool Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, respectively, and businessan René Lahaye stated that contacts with the Geran-speaking part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion appear to be going ore soothly than those with Wallonia. Everyone agrees that the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion offers key opportunities for business, but that these are difficult to realise in practice. Mr. Lahaye, who lives in the Fleish part of Belgiu, has an office in Maastricht and operates on a broad international scale, finds it particularly difficult for a ultitude of reasons to do business with partners in Wallonia. This was illustrated during the evening itself by the presence of just one person fro Wallonia copared to the 15 Dutch citizens who had coe to Visé. As a result, the siultaneous interpretation service offered was not really necessary. However, there was broad agreeent that there is a world to be won, particularly between Wallonia and Liburg. Dr. Thierry Cooseans, eber of the ELF Board of Directors The ain focus of the second part of the evening was that political will is essential with respect to, for exaple, unity in the legal position of contracting parties and contracts. There are also still any gaps and incongruities in regulations concerning recruitent and transnational operations. The panel, consisting of Jurgen Moors, Sjef Bastiaens, Chairan of Business Club Liburg and eber of the board of directors of MKB Liburg and Bert Jongen conducted a dialogue with the audience and identified quite a few sensitive areas. At the sae tie, they anaged to establish utual contacts with a view to continued iproveent of the possibilities. Both the ebers of the panel and the audience gave Mr. Jongen plenty of input to add a stronger cross-border coponent to his work on the Maastricht City Council. Events 48 49

25 Coplete list of ELF events in 2010 e Date Title of event Venue Language > ELF eber organisations involved April 21/04/10 Iberian Liberal eeting Cadiz English > Moviento Liberal Social Spain > Fundació Catalanista i Deòcrata > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo 07/04/10 Education in Europe: A location factor Poznań English 10/04/10 for businesses and people alike Poland > LYMEC > Fundacja Projekt: Polska 14/04/10 Political counication in the IT age Bucharest English 16/04/10 > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Roania > Institute for Liberal Studies > LYMEC May 14/05/10 Deocracy in Turkey: A road ap Ankara Turkish, 16/05/10 on the way towards European Union Turkey English > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Stichting IDI 28/05/10 New duties and responsibilities for the Opatija English, 30/05/10 Liberal heads of counties, ayors, and Croatia Croatian heads of unicipalities in Croatia > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Haya van Soerenstichting VVD International > Kenniscentru D66 30/05/10 Attitudes towards Liberalis. Bratislava English Presentation and discussion of survey results Slovakia > ELDR Party > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo June 05/06/10 Epowering civil society s oveents, Athens English organisations and institutions Greece > Liberty Foru of Greece (KEFIM) > Centre Jean Gol > Proetheus Liberal Knowledge Centre 07/06/10 Rule of law and civil society Bucharest English 09/06/10 > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Roania > Institute for Liberal Studies > LYMEC 10/06/10 Rule of law and civil society Bankya English 13/06/10 > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Bulgaria > Institute for Liberal Studies > LYMEC 11/06/10 New duties and responsibilities for the Bjelovar English, 13/06/10 Liberal heads of counties, ayors, and heads Croatia Croatian of unicipalities in Croatia > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Haya van Soerenstichting VVD International > Kenniscentru D66 Date Title of event Venue Language > ELF eber organisations involved June 19/06/10 Consolidation and strengthening of Prague English 20/06/10 deocratic party structures in the EU eber states Czech Republic in Central-Eastern Europe > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Centre for Liberal Studies > Centre Jean Gol 21/06/10 Privatisation and liberalisation as responses Vienna English to the crisis Austria > Liberales Institut Österreich 25/06/10 New duties and responsibilities for the Poreč English, 27/06/10 Liberal heads of counties, ayors, and heads of Croatia Croatian unicipalities in Croatia > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Haya van Soerenstichting VVD International > Kenniscentru D66 July 02/07/10 Political counication in the IT age Bankja English 04/07/10 > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Bulgaria > LYMEC 20/07/10 After the financial crisis: green growth? London English > CentreForu United Kingdo > FORES > Moviento Liberal Social August 29/08/10 Liberal Acadey: Brussels English 31/08/10 Challenging European integration standstill Belgiu > ELDR Party > Fondazione Critica Liberale > Kenniscentru 66 > Proetheus Liberaal Kennis Centru Septeber 04/09/10 ELF Acadey on local deocracy Vienna English, 05/09/10 > Liberales Institut Österreich Austria Geran > Fundacija Libertas 21/09/10 Liberal answers to the financial crisis: Vienna Geran What arkets, what regulations? Austria > Liberales Institut Österreich > CentreForu 27/09/10 Huan rights in the EU in the context of the Lisbon Portuguese, War on Terror Portugal English > Moviento Liberal Social > Fundació Catalanista i Deòcrata 11/06/10 Liberty and civil society in enlarged Europe Cracow English 13/06/10 > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Poland Polish > Fundacja Projekt: Polska 14/06/10 New regionalis as a way to proote Barcelona English deocracy and socio-econoic developent? Spain > Fundació Catalanista i Deòcrata > Centre Jean Gol Events 50 51

26 Coplete list of ELF events in 2010 e Date Title of event Venue Language > ELF eber organisations involved October 01/10/10 Life chances in Europe Brussels English > Bertil Ohlin Institutet Belgiu > CentreForu > Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting 12/10/10 The role of Liberals in the European Parliaent Tallin Geran, 13/10/10 and in Estonia Estonia English > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Centre for Liberal Studies 13/10/10 Active citizenship and deocratic Helsinki English accountability in the EU Finland > Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting > Think tank e2 > Lokus 14/10/10 Could igration defuse Europe s Helsinki English deographic tiebob? Finland > CentreForu > Stichting IDI Noveber 14/11/10 The role of Liberals in the Vyhne Slovak 14/11/10 European Parliaent and in Slovakia Slovakia > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Liberal Society Foundation 15/11/10 Liberal answers to the global econoic crisis Vilnius English 20/11/10 > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Lithuania > Think tank e2 28/11/10 Internal arket Ljubljana English 28/11/10 > LYMEC Slovenia > Fundacija Libertas 26/11/10 Secularisation in Europe Roe English, > Fondazione Critica Liberale Italy Italian > Bertil Ohlin Institutet > Fundacja Projekt: Polska > Moviento Liberal Social 27/11/10 Should deocratisation be a key pillar The Hague Dutch of the EU foreign policy? A Liberal view on The English deocratisation and deocracy assistance Netherlands > Haya van Soerenstichting VVD International > Proetheus Liberaal Kennis Centru 30/11/10 Journalists between legal prosecution Vienna Geran, and gate-keeping? Austria English > Liberales Institut Österreich > Fondazione Critica Liberale Deceber 01/12/10 Liberalis across the borders: A citizen s Visé French, dialogue in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion Belgiu Dutch > Centre Jean Gol > Kenniscentru D66 02/12/10 Liberalis across the borders: A citizen s Maastricht Dutch, dialogue in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion The French > Centre Jean Gol Netherlands > Kenniscentru D66 09/12/10 Fiscal federalis in the European Union Berlin Geran > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo Gerany 52

27 Selection of publications and studies In 2010, the ELF produced eight publications in close cooperation with its eber organisations. These included proceedings of ELF conferences organised throughout the year, essays on Liberal topics, research papers and studies on Liberal ideas and values. The ain fields of interest for the publications authors are the central issues facing Liberal Europe in ties of global financial and econoic crisis: the future of deocratic representation, growth and investent, social obility, and fiscal federalis in the European Union. Europe-wide, the ELF has continued its successful presentation of, and research into, Liberal tradition and ideas. 55

28 Deocracy in Europe: Of the People, by the People, for the People? p Publisher European Liberal Foru Cooperating eber organisations Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting Lokus think tank E2 ISBN For further inforation info@teldersstichting.nl The book contains essays fro Dutch, Finnish, Swedish and Polish authors, who have each researched the level of (dis)trust citizens display towards European institutions and developents, and the eans to iprove deocratic accountability within the EU in order to restore trust aong European citizens. First, the editors, Dr. Fleur de Beaufort and Dr. Patrick van Schie give the general background to the topics presented. Then, Charlotte Maas, Sten Berglund and Leszek Jazdzewski analyse public opinion in the various European countries on the subject of deepening and widening of the EU. Patrick van Schie and Fleur de Beaufort further investigate whether referenda can be defended fro a Liberal perspective and if they can be an instruent for restoring trust. Aarettii Siitonen, Edwin van Rooyen and Gerrit Voeran delve deeper into the role transnational political parties now have and the role they could play in the future. Frits Bolkenstein and Hans van Baalen present Liberal political strategies to iprove trust and deocratic accountability, while Björn Wallen attepts to draw soe blue-sky conclusions out of all these very different, but thoughtprovoking, contributions. The paper begins by exaining the scale of the challenge of itigating cliate change and the costs and benefits of doing so. It then quantifies the level of investent needed to eet the requireents of a low-carbon infrastructure. It considers the lifecycle of R&D, coercialisation and the deployent of new technologies. Having analysed what easures are in place to itigate cliate change, the paper then exaines the case for governent intervention to proote investent in R&D of green technologies. It looks at the benefits and disbenefits of different deand- or supply-side easures to proote investent in the coercialisation and deployent of a low-carbon energy infrastructure. In particular, as an exaple of the easures governents can take to proote investent in a low-carbon infrastructure, there is a focus on the role the UK s proposed Green Investent Bank (GIB) ight play in prooting investent. Finally, the paper concludes by assessing which easures are likely to be the ost effective and econoically justifiable for prooting green investent. Green growth: How best to proote green investent p Publisher European Liberal Foru Cooperating eber organisations CentreForu FORES ISBN For further inforation info@centreforu.org Publications and studies 56 57

29 Liberty and civil society in enlarged Europe The publication is based on the speeches given at the Liberty and civil society in enlarged Europe conference held in Cracow, Poland on June The priary goal of the conference was to exaine the current situation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in ters of deocracy and civil society. The event served as a foru for Liberal politicians and acadeics to exchange Discussions regarding a new financial fraework for the EU began in the suer of 2010, if not earlier. Following a review of the EU budget, the European Coission supported by the European Parliaent has expressed the wish it has often expressed in the past for an EU tax and responsibility for dealing with indebtedness. Fiscal federalis in the European Union experiences and knowledge on the efforts necessary to proote Liberal ideas in These proposals were rejected by the Meber States. At the European Council p the region. in October 2010, the heads of governent and of state agreed on a significantly lower increase in EU finances than the Coission had proposed. Ultiately, in p Publisher European Liberal Foru Cooperating eber organisations Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo (FNF) Fundacja Projekt: Polska For further inforation info@liberalforu.eu On one hand, there is no deocracy without civil society and civil society does not exist without liberty. On the other, there is a significant issue to be tackled, naely the increasingly visible weakness of Liberalis in CEE countries. Is there a link between these issues? Is there anything that can be done to solve this proble? All CEE countries deand ore visible participation by citizens and activity to strengthen their young deocracies. Siultaneously, liberal deocracy is challenged all over the world. There are ore and ore new political threats and socio-econoic probles weakening the deocratic id-noveber 2010, talks between the Council and the European Parliaent on the 2011 EU budget collapsed. The talks failed not only because the European Parliaent wanted greater responsibility for dealing with the budget, but also because of its call for an increase in EU expenditure and for a coitent to future financing of the EU fro an EU tax. In what direction is EU budget policy heading? What sees to be the trend? Based on a detailed presentation of both the EU budget (incoe and Publisher European Liberal Foru Cooperating eber organisations Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo (FNF) For further inforation info@liberalforu.eu syste. expenditure) and the EU s debts outside its budget, especially via the European Investent Bank, this study subjects the EU budget to a critical task review. The essays reflect the course of the conference, its ain points and conclusions, This review reveals that the actual allocation of responsibility for incoe and inviting further discussion and analysis of the subjects discussed. expenditure at EU level only partly confors to the ideas forulated fro an econoic perspective. Furtherore, it shows that there is not uch evidence to support the introduction of an EU tax. Refor of the syste of funding the EU should instead significantly reduce the coplexity of the syste, while fundaentally retaining the contributions syste. Publications and studies 58 59

30 Coplete list of ELF publications in 2010 p Title of publication Author/Editor Language > ELF eber organisations involved Deocracy in Europe: Fleur de Beaufort English Of the People, by the People, for the People? Patrick van Schie > Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting > Editors > Lokus > Think tank e2 Grandes obras do pensaento Liberal Igor Caldeira Portuguese > Moviento Liberal Social > Editor > Centre Jean Gol Green growth: CentreForu English How best to proote green investent > Author > CentreForu Liberty and civil society Robert Posłajko English/Polish > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Editor > Fundacja Projekt: Polska Liberal reflections on life chances Prof. Ingeund Hägg English and social obility in Europe > Editor > Bertil Ohlin Institutet > CentreForu > Prof.r. B.M. Teldersstichting Fiscal federalis in the European Union Prof. Lars Feld Geran > Friedrich Nauann Foundation for Freedo > Author Synthèse détaillée d ouvrages ajeurs Dr. Corentin de Salle French de la tradition libérale Toe II > Author > Centre Jean Gol > Moviento Liberal Social The difference in public attitudes towards Joanna Suder English Liberal ideas across European countries > Author > Moviento Liberal Social > Think tank e2 > Lokus > Kenniscentru D66 > Bertil Ohlin Institutet > Proetheus Liberaal Kennis Centru 60 61

31 liberalforu.eu The ELF website features inforation on ELF activities and structures. Furtherore it provides: Reports on past ELF conferences, seinars and workshops Newly issued ELF publications A platfor for eber organisations to exchange liberal views and ideas with fellow ebers Visit us on