Preface

This volume is the result of the work of the Commission on the Future of the European Union, convened by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in 2010. The Commission, composed of 60 renowned experts from the worlds of politics, science and civil society, was charged with sketching out future prospects and drafting recommendations for key areas of European policy – areas crucial for giving a new dynamic to European cooperation. As ‘more Europe’ has to go hand in hand with ‘more democracy,’ we also include a study on how best to strengthen European democracy.
 

The starting point of the Commission’s work was the concept of ‘solidarity and strength.’ European solidarity is a prerequisite for the inner cohesion of the EU, and strength is required to preserve the ‘European way of life’ in a globalised world with its rapidly changing balance of power. Cohesion within the Union and the capacity to engage with the outside world are intimately connected.

During the course of the Commission’s work, it became clear that the notion of a Europe that is selfconfident and able to act globally is best expressed using the term ‘strength.’ Only by deploying its cooperative strength will Europe have the power to help shape events and successfully meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. We do not want a ‘Fortress Europe’ but a cosmopolitan Union that actively promotes the values of European states
and their citizens.

In times of crisis and faced with growing scepticism towards the European institutions, there is a need for an open debate on the Union’s perspectives. What are the limits of European solidarity? What rules are mandatory for a community whose members support each other in times of crisis? What political course has to be charted to get the EU back on track? And what are the challenges of global engagement which the EU will face in the future?
The individual contributions collected in this volume represent the views of the authors. They are not meant to provide a universal common position on Europe, but rather to give food for thought in the context of the ongoing European debate.

We would like to express our gratitude to all experts involved for the time and knowledge they have invested in this project. We hope that they will continue to contribute to this debate. We would especially like to thank Rainder Steenblock for coordinating the Committee’s five subgroups with such enthusiasm and care. We would also like to thank our colleagues in the Foundation’s Europe and North America Department, without whose unstinting efforts this ambitious project would never have come to fruition.

Berlin, September 2011

Ralf Fücks, Co-President, Heinrich Böll Foundation
Christine Pütz, Head of EU Desk, Heinrich Böll Foundation

 

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This publication can be ordered at:
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Schumannstraße 8, 10117 Berlin – Germany
T +49 30 28534-0 F +49 30 28534-109 E buchversand@boell.de

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, European Union, Brussels – 15 Rue d’Arlon – B-1050 Brussels – Belgium
T +32 2 743 41 00 F +32 2 743 41 09 E brussels@boell.eu W www.boell.eu

Solidarity and Strength - The Future of the European Union
Editor	Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, European Union, Brussels
Place of publication	Belgium
Date of publication	April 2012
Pages	134
ISBN	D/2011/11.850/15
Service charge	Free of charge

 

Dossier: The Future of the European Union

The European Union is at a crossroads. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has invited renowned experts, to formulate concepts and recommendations for the future of the EU. They are presented in this dossier.

 

• Dossier: Solidarity and Strength: The Future of the European Union

 

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