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.
On January 10, 2014, The European Institute in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy hosted a luncheon discussion with The Honorable Maria Chiara Carrozza, Italian Minister for Education, Universities and Research. Minister Carrozza discussed the vital importance of furthering transatlantic research and innovation cooperation and of strengthening the European Science and Technology Union. During Italy’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union, she said, priority will be given to ensuring continuity in the implementation of the European Union’s ambitious Horizon 2020 initiative. Michael Nelson, Principal Technology Policy Strategist at Microsoft moderated the discussion.
On December 19, 2013, The European Institute in cooperation with the Embassy of Finland hosted a breakfast event with Esa Härmälä, Director-General of the Energy Department at the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy; Dr. Christian Burgsmueller, Head of the Transport, Energy, & Environment Section at the Delegation of the European Union; and Mikhail Kalugin, Head of the Economic Section at the Embassy of the Russian Federation to discuss the progress of Finland’s efforts to achieve sustainable energy independence through diversification of energy resources, closer integration with the European Union’s single energy market, and the furtherance of regional energy projects with neighboring states, including the Russian Federation.
On December 5, 2013, The European Institute in partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Office with the U.S. Congress convened a breakfast discussion with The Honorable Tonino Picula, Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Croatia, and The Honorable Davor Ivo Stier, Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs. The discussion focused on the lessons learned from Croatia’s accession to the European Union and the future of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans in order to promote peace, stability, and prosperity.
On December 2, 2013, The European Institute awarded The Honorable José Ángel Gurría, Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development the Transatlantic Leadership Award at its Annual Ambassadors’ Dinner. In his acceptance speech, Secretary-General Gurría called for renewed cooperation between Europe and the United States to “jump-start the engine of global growth” and stressed the importance of the potential Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership as an opportunity to set “the gold standard for deep and comprehensive global trade and investment integration.” The event was co-hosted by the 32 European Ambassadors of the Ambassadorial Host Committee.
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