Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker are hosting a Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg in November. The Commission has also published a reflection paper on the social dimension of Europe.
But what exactly is the social dimension of Europe? This seminar aims to explain the EU legal framework in the area, and to discuss what the EU can do and what the EU should do.
Agenda
The Social Acquis
Free movement of people in the EU and the welfare state
Sweden´s capacity to implement EU law in a swift and efficient way has varied through the years. A sizeable amount of the complaints and lawsuits against Sweden are indeed caused by delays and other shortcomings in implementing EU directives and regulations. This can prove costly, because of the EU´s tightened sanction rules for countries lagging behind.
At this seminar, the report Doing it right and on time – Is there a need for new methods of implementing EU law in Sweden? will be presented. The authors analyse the present situation and suggest ways to make the implementation more efficient and more broadly established. The connection between negotiations and implementation of EU directives, the role of the parliament, the need for committees and inquiry systems, as well as appropriate timing for consultation processes and impact assessments are among the issues discussed.
Speakers Jörgen Hettne, Senior Researcher in Law, SIEPS Jane Reichel, Associate Professor in Public Law, Uppsala University
Commentators Åsa Casula Vifell, Associate Professor in Political Science, Stockholm University Sara Bratberg, Deputy Director at the EU Coordination Secretariat, Prime Minister´s Office
Chair Pernilla Bäckman, Researcher in Political Science, SIEPS
Time: Tuesday 20 November kl. 14.00 – 16.30. Registration/coffee from 13.30 Venue: Medelhavsmuseet, Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm Language: Swedish
Register no later than 19 November.
The seminar is free of charge and open to the public. Each participant will receive a copy of the publication.
Constitutional issues are hot in many countries. Foreign institutional models are often invoked in these debates, but so are national traditions and the lessons of national experience. The Venice Commission – the Council of Europe´s advisory body on constitutional and other legal matters of importance for democratic development – has in that context come to play an ımportant role. But what does the Commission do? How does it function, and what is its impact?
At this seminar, the Venice Commission will be introduced, as well as its achievements in primarily Eastern Europe, Caucasus and the Balkans. The relation between the Commission and the EU will also be discussed.
Speakers Kjell Torbiörn, former Head of Office of the Secretary General, Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe Thomas Markert, head of the Secretariat of the Venıce Commission
Commentators Iain Cameron, Swedish member of the Venice Commission, Johan Hirschfeldt, Swedish alternate member of the Venice Commission
Matılda Dahl, Lecturer in Business Economy, Gotland University
Chair Daniel Tarschys, SIEPS
Time: Monday 19 November kl. 14.00 – 16.00. Registration/coffee from 13.30 Venue: Medelhavsmuseet, Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm Language: English Register no later than 16 November.
The seminar is free of charge and open to the public. Each participant will receive a copy of the publication.
Consumer empowerment is very much a European topic today. A clear example is the European Commission´s new European Consumer Agenda. But what is the current status of the EU's 500 million consumers? What influence do they actually have and how can it be strengthened?
This seminar will analyse the state of empowerment of European consumers in relation to three main stages of their activity, namely acquiring, exercising and enforcing their rights. Hence, three aspects of consumer policy and regulation will be debated during the seminar: empowering consumers as political actors, empowering consumers as market participants and facilitating enforcement of consumer rights through special judicial and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
Time: Fredagen den 26 oktober 09:00-13:00. Registrering/kaffe från 8:30 Venue: Kungliga Myntkabinettet, Slottsbacken 6, Stockholm Language: English
Register no later than 24 October
Programme
9.00 – 9.30 Introduction Anna Stellinger, Head of Agency, SIEPS Peter Knutsson, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Justice Gunnar Larsson, Director-General, Swedish Consumer Agency
9.30 – 10.30 Session 1 – Empowering the European consumer as a market participant Chair Ulf Bernitz, Professor of European Law, Stockholm University Speakers Karolina Zurek, Senior Researcher in Law, SIEPS: New turn in consumer protection – Have we all just become "buyers"? Antonina Bakardjieva-Engelbrekt, Professor of Law, Stockholm University: Consumer empowerment in the European Union – weighing the institutional alternatives.
10.30 – 11.00 Coffee and sandwich break
11.00 – 11.45 Session 2 – Europeanisation and political participation of consumers Chair Anna Stellinger, Head of Agency, SIEPS Speakers Paolo Graziano, Associate Professor in Political Science, Bocconi University, Milan, and IUSS, Pavia: Europeanisation, consumer interest associations and EU consumer policy. Michele Micheletti, Professor in Political Science, Stockholm University: Political consumerism: Responsibility-taking in the world today
11.45 – 12.30 Session 3 – Facilitating judicial process in consumer disputes Chair Antonina Bakardjieva-Engelbrekt, Professor of Law, Stockholm University Speakers Iris Benöhr, Postdoctoral Fellow in Law, Oxford University: EU consumer dispute resolution after the Lisbon Treaty Laura Ervo, Professor of Law, Örebro University: Class action – a solution to access to justice problems?
12.30 – 13.00 Closing discussion
The seminar – which is free of charge – is organised jointly by SIEPS and the Institute of European Law at Stockholm University and will gather academics and policy makers to analyse recent developments in European consumer law and policy.
The economic crisis in Europe has renewed the debate on the functioning of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The discussions have mainly focused on economic aspects of the union’s viability and design, while its other characteristics remain largely overlooked.
At this seminar, Professor Christopher Lord will present the report On the Legitimacy of Monetary Unionwhere he argues that one of the most central questions is whether the monetary union can be considered legitimate. According to Lord, democratic control embedded in the empowerment of citizens to ultimately exercise it as equals, is the primary prerequisite when assessing legitimacy. This, in turn, raises questions regarding democratic control over the European Central Bank (ECB), as well as the role of national parliaments and the European Parliament in exercising it.
Speaker Christopher Lord, Professor, ARENA, The Centre for European Studies, The University of Oslo
Discussants Sverker Gustavsson, Professor, Department of Political Science, Uppsala University
Adriaan Schout, Deputy Director Research Europe, Clingendael - Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Moderator Pernilla Bäckman, Researcher, Political Science, SIEPS
Time: Wednesday 3 October 14.00 – 16.00. Registration/coffee from 13.30 Venue: Medelhavsmuseet, Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm Language: English
Register no later than 1 October.
The seminar is free of charge and open to the public. Each participant will receive a copy of the publication.
The Council of the European Union is certainly the most powerful institution of the European Union, as a major Community legislator – alone or with the European Parliament – and as an executive body. Still, there is only limited knowledge of the Council’s decision-making and how the Council reaches an agreement.
At this seminar, Wim Van Aken will present the report Voting in the Council of the European Union – Contested Decision-Making in the EU Council of Ministers (1995-2010) focusing on Member States’ voting behaviour. The report is based on a robust collection of data stretching over a period from 1995 to 2010, together with qualitative material from interviews with practitioners in the Council Secretariat and the Member States’ permanent representations.
The Swedish model of Government administration, often seen as an inspiration internationally, has been challenged in an EU context. One question is whether the Government can be responsible for independent authorities acting in relation to the EU. Another concerns the number of Swedish laws emanating from the EU and the status of the Parliament. Still other questions deal with the control of the exercise of power and how it should be designed.
In the SIEPS anthology The legacy of Oxenstierna – reflections on Swedish Government administration and the EU, five researchers describes how EU law influences the Swedish societal organisation in general and the model of administration in particular. At the seminar, the various chapters in the publication will be presented and debated.
Speakers: Thomas Bull, Professor, constitutional law, Uppsala University Lovisa Halje, doctoral student, common law, Uppsala University Maria Bergström, doctoral student, European law, Uppsala University Jane Reichel, doctoral student, public law Uppsala University Joakim Nergelius, Professor, law, Örebro University
The ongoing crisis in the Eurozone has posed particular challenges to the current Danish EU Presidency. Denmark, like Sweden, is not a member of the Euro Group and has therefore been excluded from some of the most important decision-making during the first half of 2012. Moreover, the political clout in the EU now rests more with the European Council than with the Council Presidencies. Nevertheless, Council Presidencies continue to matter and during the initial period of the Danish Presidency a number of concrete results have indeed been achieved.
At this seminar, a mid-term review of the Danish Presidency will be presented and we will look ahead to the future challenges of the EU.
Speakers Julie Hassing Nilsen, researcher, European University Institute, Florence Mette Buskjaer, Research Assistant, Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Discussant Johan Krafft, Director General, Department for EU-Coordination, Swedish Prime Minister´s Office
Moderator Göran von Sydow, Researcher in Political Science, SIEPS
Time: Tuesday 29 May, 13.00-14.30. Registration/coffee from 12.40. Venue: Myntkabinettet, Slottsbacken 6, Stockholm Language: English
Register no later than 25 May
The seminar is free of charge and open to the public. Each participant will receive a copy of the publication.
While the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice is generally viewed as an internal policy of the European Union, it also has a significant external dimension. Following several initiatives from the European Council, the EU has thus become a global player in areas such as migration policy, the fight against terrorism and organised crime. Indeed, the Treaty of Lisbon intends to enhance the Union’s capacity to act on the international stage, and notably as regards the various aspects of the AFSJ.
At this seminar, Professor Jörg Monar will present his recent SIEPS report on “The external dimension of the EU’s area of freedom, security and justice: Progress, potential and limitations after the Treaty of Lisbon”.
Speakers Jörg Monar, Professor and Director of Political and Administrative Studies at the College of Europe (Bruges, Belgium) and Professor of Contemporary European Studies at the Sussex European Institute, University of Sussex (Brighton, UK)
Laurent Muschel, Deputy Head of Cabinet of European Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, Brussels
Lars Werkström, Director-General for International Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Stockholm Moderator Christophe Hillion, Senior Researcher SIEPS and Professor of European Law, Universities of Leiden & Stockholm
Time: Friday 25 May, 09.00-11.00. Registration/coffee from 08.40. Venue: Medelhavsmuseet, Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm Language: English
The European Union is currently going through a difficult time. The common currency is put under pressure and European leaders meet regularly to solve pressing problems. This situation has spurred tensions between the member states and has affected the relations between the public and their representatives. Support levels for the EU as well as the national institutions are falling in many European countries.
In collaboration with the SOM-institute, SIEPS studies the long term development of Swedish public opinion towards the EU. At this seminar the latest results of the Swedish attitudes on the EU, the euro and certain aspects of foreign policy will be presented. Furthermore, the change in public opinion in the other EU member states will be presented.
Speakers: Sören Holmberg, Professor, University of Gothenburg Göran von Sydow, Researcher, SIEPS Frida Vernersdotter, Assistant Research Administrator, SOM-institute
Moderator: Anna Stellinger, Head of Agency, SIEPS
Time: Thursday 10 May, 13.00-14.30. Registration/coffee from 12.40. Venue: Medhavsmuseet, Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm Language: Swedish
Please register no later than 8 May.
The seminar is free of charge and arranged in cooperation with the SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg. All participants will receive a copy of the publication.
On Europe Day, 9 May, SIEPS in collaboration with the Government Offices is arranging a seminar on Europes´ competitiveness. Will the EU be transformed from an economic powerhouse into the worlds´ largest museum or can the tide be turned?
Speakers Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for EU-affairs
Pontus Braunerhjelm, Professor at the School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Managing Director, Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum
Linda Bell, Head of EU R&D Relations Department, Vinnova
Enrico Deiaco, Department Head of Innovation, Growth Analysis
Moderator Anna Stellinger, Head of Agency, SIEPS
Time: Wednesday 9 May, 12.00-12.45 Venue: Europahuset, Regeringsgatan 65, plan 2, Stockholm Language: Swedish
No registration required. For information regarding the seminar, please contact info@europadagen.se
After a thorough inquiry on whether Sweden should join the euro or not, the official Swedish Government Commission on the EMU opted for a wait-and-see policy.
At this seminar, three of the Commission members and one former cabinet minister will participate in a discussion on the present euro crisis, set against the background of the 1996 inquiry: Were the right questions asked and did the inquiry come up with the right answers? How can the social sciences be of help in predicting future political and economic processes? How well suited and elucidating are inquiries such as this in trying to explain tomorrows headlines? And what lessons can be learned from the euro crisis?
Speakers: Lars Calmfors, Professor of International Economics at the Institute for International Economic Studies at Stockholm University. Chair of the Swedish Government Commission on the EMU.
Magnus Jerneck, Professor of Political Science, Lund University. Expert in the Swedish Government Commission on the EMU.
Gunnar Lund, Swedish ambassador to France. Minister for International Economic Affairs and Financial Markets 2002-2004.
Ewa Rabinowicz, Professor of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Member of the Swedish Government Commission on the EMU.
Moderator: Johannes Lindvall, Associate Professor of Political Science, Lund University.
Europaforum Hässleholm is an annual event where politicians, researchers, representatives from the business world and citizens meet in discussions on current European issues.
The European sovereign debt crisis has put the euro area in turmoil and has resulted in an acceleration of the European integration process. On March 6, a group of prominent economists will present their annual report, The European Economic Advisory Group (EEAG) Report on the European Economy 2012. The report will also deal with the regulation of the financial markets, energy and climate affairs, as well as discuss why the Swedish economy, despite the crisis, hitherto has performed comparatively well.
Speakers: Lars Calmfors, Professor of International Economics, Institute for International Economics (IIES), Stockholm University, and member of the EEAG group.
John Hassler, Professor of Economics, Institute for International Economics (IIES), Stockholm University, and member of the EEAG group.
Erik Åsbrink, former Minister for Finance (The Social Democratic Party)
Chair: Anna Stellinger, Head of Agency, Sieps
Time: Tuesday March 6, 2012, 09.00-11.00. Registration/coffee from 08.40 Venue: World Trade Center, (conference room New York), Klarabergsviadukten 70 / Kungsbron 1, Stockholm Language: Swedish
The number of participants allowed is limited, but booked seat can be signed away. Please report change of name.
The seminar is arranged in collaboration with the Centre for Business and Policy Studies, SNS. The seminar is free of charge and all participants receive a copy of the report.
The ongoing crisis in the Eurozone has posed particular challenges to the current Polish EU Presidency. Poland, like Sweden, is not a member of the Euro Group and has therefore been excluded from some of the most important decision-making during the second half of 2011. Moreover, the political clout in the EU now rests more with the European Council than with the Council Presidencies. Nevertheless, Council Presidencies continue to matter.
At this seminar, Piotr Maciej Kaczynski, Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), will present a mid-term review of the Polish Presidency and discuss its strategies and achievements. The report The Polish Presidency: Ambitions and Limitations is part of the SIEPS research project The EU Presidencies.
Speaker Piotr Maciej Kaczynski, a Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels
Discussant Johan Krafft, Director General, Department for EU-Coordination, Swedish Prime Minister´s Office
Chair Fredrik Langdal, Researcher, SIEPS
Time: Wednesday 14 December, 13.15-14.45. Registration/coffee from 12.50 Venue: Medelhavsmuseet, Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm Language: English
Please register no later than 12 December.
The seminar – which is conducted in English – is free of charge and open to the public. Each participant will receive a copy of the publication.
This seminar is the last of three held during the SIEPS conference on Social Europe.
Speaker Caroline Wehlander, Researcher in Law, Umeå University Ulf Bernitz, Professor of EU Law, Stockholm University Jörgen Hettne, Senior Researcher in Law, SIEPS
Chair Bruno de Witte, Professor of Law, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, and European University Institute, Italy
Time: Friday 9 December 11.30-13.00. Registration and coffee from 11.00 Venue: Hotel Scandic Sergel Plaza, Brunkebergstorg 9, Stockholm Language: English
Please, register no later than 5 December.
The seminar is free of charge. Each participant will receive a copy of the publications presented.
This seminar is the second of three held during the SIEPS conference on Social Europe.
Speakers Antonina Bakardjieva-Engelbrekt, Professor of Law, Stockholm University Christian Joerges, Professor of Law, Universität Bremen, Germany Discussant Mats Engström, Director of Policy Departement, Unionen
Chair Sverker Gustavsson, Professor of Political Science, Uppsala University
Time: Friday 9 December 09.00-11.00. Registration and coffee from 08.30 Venue: Hotel Scandic Sergel Plaza, Brunkebergstorg 9, Stockholm Language: English
Please, register no later than 5 December
The seminar is free of charge. Each participant will receive a copy of the publications presented.
