The European party federations – Europarties – have built alliances with many Ukrainian political parties. Dr Mats Öhlén assesses the role of this cooperation in supporting Ukraine’s democratic development and its EU-membership aspirations, against the background of previous enlargements. (2023:7epa)

The role of national parliaments in the work of the EU has increased over time. Through the ‘Political dialogue’ they have the opportunity to interact directly with the European Commission. In this European Policy Analysis, SIEPS Senior Researcher Valentin Kreilinger examines how national parliaments use the dialogue and proposes some ways in which it could be enhanced. (2023:6epa)

The path to a ‘circular economy’ is not smooth, but progress towards the goal will have positive climate impacts. SIEPS Senior Advisor Mats Engström describes the challenges the EU faces in achieving this and gives reasons to press on with this work. (April 2023)

The rule of law has been badly damaged in some EU Member States, and a central feature of this has been the weakening of the independence of the judiciary. In this European Policy Analysis, Iain Cameron, Professor of Public International Law at Uppsala University, examines the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on judicial independence and describes how it can interact with the EU’s work to defend the rule of law. (2023:4epa)

Western Europe’s energy efficiency is nothing to write home about, but the situation in Central and Eastern Europe is even worse. This has negative consequences for the region’s health, wealth and security. In this European Policy Analysis, the former Bulgarian Minister for the Environment Julian Popov describes the problem and suggests some national and EU-level solutions. (2023:3epa)

Under the pressure of an increased number of irregular arrivals and asylum applications in 2022, and while negotiations on the reform of the Common European Asylum System are ongoing, the EU is – again – searching for solutions outside EU territory. SIEPS senior researcher Bernd Parusel recapitulates the ‘external dimension’ of EU migration policy and discusses some of the ideas currently on the table. (February 2023)

Condemned for complicity in illegal practices, Frontex recently lost its executive director over accusations of misconduct. A dilemma faces his replacement: where fundamental rights are at risk, should the agency stay, and attempt to remedy the situation, or withdraw, to avoid being complicit? (2022:22epa)

The EU’s legislative cycle is approaching its final full year. Ahead of 2023, three SIEPS researchers make an appraisal of what the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council have achieved so far and how well – or not – they worked together to achieve it. (2022:21epa)

The EU Treaties award citizens of EU member states certain rights simply because of their nationality. Other rights depend on cross-border or economic activity. Thirty years on from the formal articulation of EU citizenship, Prof. Theodore Konstadinides assess two understandings of EU citizenship: the market and the social, traces their roots and reflects on whether this distinction is a useful one. (2022:20epa)

On 1 January Sweden took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. It shoulders this key institutional and legislative responsibility during a time of war and economic turmoil, with its government having been in office for just two and a half months. But, argue SIEPS researchers Jakob Lewander and Louise Bengtsson, there are good reasons for thinking that Sweden will succeed in the roles of honest broker and effective crisis manager. (2022:19epa)