Pre-Departure Reading
PRE-DEPARTURE READING
To get the most of this study tour, all participants should approach the study visits with some background knowledge of the European Union. Below, you’ll find information on the different European institutions, some of which we will be visiting together, and how the European Union works.
You will also find topical deep dives on important issues. Not all of the material here is for reading – there are videos, podcasts, as well as news stories and academic papers to get you well informed before you hit the ground.
DEEP-DIVE ON THE ISSUES
BUSINESS AND MEDIA BRIEF: EUROPEAN DEFENSE COOPERATION (UNC CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES, 2014)
“European countries spent almost 190 billion euros on defense in the last reporting year, which was 2012. This represents around third of US military expenditure, but the capabilities generated by this investment are not in proportion to the outlay.”
EUROPEAN BOOTS ON LIBYAN GROUND (POLITICO, 5/18/15)
“European Union foreign ministers meeting on Monday to consider proposed military action against human traffickers in Libya find themselves faced with a series of questions on just how far they can take the fight.”
NEW FACE BUT SAME OLD PROBLEMS FOR EU FOREIGN POLICY (REUTERS, 5/10/15)
“Europe’s chequered attempt to build a common foreign and security policy has a new face, Italy’s Federica Mogherini, but the European Union is stuck with the same old problems despite her bright start.”
NPR: European Union Introduces Quota Plan To Address Migrant Crisis
FRANCE BROADLY BACKS EU PLAN AMID GROWING OPPOSITION TO IMMIGRATION (REUTERS, 5/20/15)
“France gave broad backing on Wednesday to an EU scheme to share out asylum-seekers among EU states to deal with a surge of migrants, after a week of ambiguity that reflected growing public opposition to immigration.”
EUROPE’S PROMISED ACTION ON MIGRATION CRISIS IS CRITICIZED AS INADEQUATE (THE NEW YORK TIMES, 4/23/15)
‘“The E.U. hasn’t had a coherent immigration policy since forever, and the situation is getting worse since the Arab Spring,” said Camino Mortera-Martinez, a research fellow at the Center for European Reform in London.’
BUSINESS AND MEDIA BRIEF: THE US-EU TRADE AND INVESTMENT PACT (TTIP) (UNC CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES, 2014)
“The Centre for European Policy Research (CEPR) estimates that a fully comprehensive agreement covering these issue areas would result in an additional €68-119 billion in European economic activity each year as well as an output boost of between €49 and €95 billion in the United States (depending on the scope of the final agreement). The overall growth impact of a comprehensive accord would be four to ten times larger than simply a lowering of tariffs. In a practical sense, the impact could be as much as €545 in extra disposable income for a European family of four and €655 for their American counterparts.”
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMY 2015: ANNUAL SURVEY OF JOBS, TRADE, AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE (CENTER FOR TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS, 2015)
“Despite economic turbulence, the US and Europe remain each other’s most important markets. No other commercial artery in the world is as integrated.”
Video: TTIP Explained
EURO UNDER PRESSURE AFTER GREECE WARNS IT COULD FAIL TO MEET IMF REPAYMENT (THE GUARDIAN, 5/20/15)
“Single currency loses ground against dollar as leading Greek politicians say the country may default if a deal with creditors is not reached.”
BUSINESS AND MEDIA BRIEF: THE EU AND TURKEY (UNC CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES, 2014)
“Turkish membership of the EU has always been controversial. It is now becoming even more so: the accession process seems effectively stalled and concerns over the deterioration of democracy in Turkey are mounting.”
THE SERBIAN KEY TO EUROPEAN PEACE (POLITICO, 5/20/15)
“NATO and the EU have a lot of work left to do in the Balkans.”
THE THIEVES OF BOSNIA (MILADA ANNA VACHUDOVA IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 2/24/14)
INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON MACEDONIAN POLITICAL ELITE BRINGS NO RESULTS (EURACTIV, 5/15/15)
“Macedonia’s prime minister, under international pressure to resolve a political crisis in the troubled Balkan country, held talks yesterday (14 May) with opposition and ethnic Albanian party leaders.”
KEY DOCUMENTS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE EU
THE EUROPEAN UNION: A GUIDE FOR AMERICANS (THE EU DELEGATION TO THE UNITED STATES, 2015)
“As we progress into the 21st century, the European Union continues to be one of the world’s most successful studies in economic and political integration. Rooted in democracy, the EU is a community based on law and values, and a society built on cooperation and solidarity. Through the years, the European Union has evolved like a living organism, and continues to grow, adapt, and develop to accommodate its citizens and the wider world, striving always to foster stability, security, and prosperity at home and abroad.” – EU Ambassador to the United States David O’Sullivan
HOW THE EUROPEAN UNION WORKS: THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS EXPLAINED (EU PUBLICATIONS OFFICE, 2014)
“The EU has achieved much since it was created in 1950. It has built a single market for goods and services that spans 28 Member States with over 500 million citizens free to move and settle where they wish. It created the single currency — the euro — which is now a major world currency and which makes the single market more efficient. It is also the largest supplier of development and humanitarian aid programmes in the world. These are just a few of the achievements so far. Looking ahead, the EU is working to get Europe out of the economic crisis. It is at the forefront of the fight against climate change and its consequences; it helps neighbouring countries and continues ongoing negotiations on enlargements; and it is building a common foreign policy which will do much to extend European values around the world. The success of these ambitions depends on the ability to take effective and timely decisions and to implement them well.”