Regardless of whether the global imbalances are seen as a cause, codeterminant or a side-show, the financial crisis has brought back global imbalances on the policy agenda. In this SIEPS research report, Professor Philip R.

The current Spanish EU Presidency has faced a number of tough challenges. These include reaching an agreement on an EU strategy for employment and growth (EU 2020), managing the acute financial crisis in Greece and the EU response to the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, argues the author of this mid-term review of the achievements of the Spanish Presidency.

The Belgian EU Presidency has faced a number of tough challenges. These include reaching an agreement on the new initiatives about the EU:s economic decision-making system as well as handling the continuous economic crisis.

In the Lisbon Treaty, the EU committed itself to the creation of a European "social market economy". But the European legislation that would be required to promote this goal still depends on qualified majorities in the Council and will therefore easily be blocked by the veto of member states preferring a "liberal market economy", argues the author of this new analysis within the SIEPS research project Social Europe.

During the past months, we have witnessed increasing activity regarding the establishment of a European External Action Service (EEAS) – one of the most emblematic innovations that the Treaty of Lisbon introduces to strengthen the EU external action. While the details of the EEAS organisation and functioning are still under (intense) discussion, this Analysis sheds light on the political and legal contexts in which the EEAS is being set up, and raises some questions as to its possible contribution to the development of a common European diplomacy.

The Stability and Growth Pact must be reinforced, have greater automaticity and entail graduated sanctions. Fiscal surveillance must be improved through the establishment of a European Fiscal Stability Agency and the European Financial Stability Facility must be made permanent.

The recent financial and economic crisis had particularly severe employment and welfare implications for newly flexible labour markets. Only a coherent approach to the integration of markets and market-correcting policies may in the future prevent uncoordinated social and employment policies from endangering the political sustainability of economic integration, writes the author of this analysis.

The debate on reform of the EU budget has hitherto primarily centred on how EU money should be spent. But a true reform calls for serious handling of the financing of the budget as well, argues the author of this new analysis.

The process of reforming the legislation in the area of financial services in the EU has been going on since the late 1990´s. This analysis presents a brief history on that process.

The presumption that undocumented migrants are outside the law is wrong. This is one the conclusions in a new European Policy Analysis, with contributions from six researchers at Lund University.