On October 28, 2014, The European Institute, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland and IDA Ireland hosted a luncheon event with The Honorable Richard Bruton T.D., Irish Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation.  Minister Bruton discussed the policies being implemented to help Ireland continue to recover from the economic crisis and stressed the importance of a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership in order to spur economic growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.  Minister Bruton also elaborated on the tax residency rules in Ireland and the potential impact on business, particularly the IT sector, in Ireland.

On October 2, 2014, The European Institute held its 2014 Annual Ambassadors’ Dinner.  At this year’s dinner, the Institute honored The Honorable Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science with the Transatlantic Leadership Award for her seminal role in reviving the Transatlantic Research and Innovation Dialogue and for the deftness and vision with which she has helped shape and secure the European Union’s ambitious research agenda, Horizon 2020.  The Institute also presented the Transatlantic Leadership Award to The Honorable Robert Hormats, former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment for his multiple contributions and steadfast leadership in strengthening trade and economic ties between Europe and the United States, in particular, helping to launch the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership initiative.

Click here to read Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn's remarks.

By Michael D. Mosettig, Former Foreign Editor of PBS News Hour

When first announced earlier this year, President Obama's trip to Europe, and especially his first ever stop over in Brussels, appeared to be more a mission of gestures than substance. Now, with the Russian annexation of Crimea, a courtesy call has become something of a crisis meeting with a suddenly crammed agenda.

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On February 19, 2014, The European Institute, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania and the Embassy of Sweden, held a breakfast discussion with The Honorable Vytautas Leskevicius, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs for the Republic of Lithuania and His Excellency Björn Lyrvall, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, focusing on the increasingly potent role that the partnership between Nordic and Baltic states has assumed in defining both regional and European foreign policy priorities.  Particular emphasis was placed on sustaining the EU’s Eastern Partnership Initiative following last year’s Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and on assessing the implications of the volatile situation in Ukraine.

On February 12, 2014, The European Institute in partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Office with the U.S. Congress hosted a breakfast event with Jaume Duch, Spokesperson and Director of Communications for the European Parliament, to discuss the upcoming European Parliament elections and what they could mean for the European Union and the transatlantic relationship.  Mr. Duch focused on the high stakes at play in May’s elections, as the slates of Europe’s political parties will be headed by specific candidates for the Presidency of the European Commission.  He also discussed the implications of Europe’s long and uneven economic recovery and its potential political impact, including the notable rise of euro-scepticism. Mr. Duch underlined the increasingly important role that the European Parliament assumes on a wide range of issues of transatlantic importance, including TTIP and the protection of data privacy.