Priorities and choices for UK-EU relations
In the immediate future, the EU faces major challenges in securing the economic recovery, managing the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone, and limiting the consequences for Europe’s cross-border banking system and its wider economy.
The UK must not remain a bystander in the subsequent debate but should be guided by a greater understanding of the choices available to it – and indeed to the Union itself.
In this accompanying pamphlet to a major Policy Network conference on the future of Europe, some of the leading proponents of strong UK-EU relations outline the political priorities and options for the new UK Coalition government’s European policy.
Contributions
Events, Mr Cameron, Events - Olaf Cramme & Roger Liddle
Europe and its UK visionaries - John Grant
Cameron’s cooperative Coalition - Stephen Wall
No Nixon-in-China moment for Britain - Kalypso Nicolaïdis
Britain must be alive to the dangers of too much opting-out - David Rennie
Owning Europe’s commonwealth - Roland Rudd
Conference
The conference, which took place on 11 Feb 2011, set out to address a range of questions, including:
• Is the EU’s management of the crisis re-defining its fundamental political objectives and capabilities?
• What reforms need to be made to the Single Market to re-energise Europe’s flagging economy and currency?
• What role should the UK play in shaping this process?
Speakers included: László Andor, EU commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion; Vince Cable, UK secretary of state for Business, Innovation and Skills; Robert Madelin, director-general of the European Commission’s Information Society and Media DG; Peter Mandelson, former EU trade commissioner, former UK first secretary of state and president of Policy Network; John Monks, secretary-general of the European Trade Unions Confederation; Mario Monti, former EU commissioner and author of “A New Strategy for the Single Market”; Verena Ross, head of the international division, UK Financial Services Authority.