The IIEA is pleased to present the first paper published by the IIEA Economic Governance Group – ‘Reforming European Economic Governance: The European Semester and other Recent Developments’ by Michael G Tutty.

Immigration is a leading concern of voters in the UK and in 2013 the focus has turned to migrants from within the EU. 

Paper examining the negotiations that led to agreement on a European Social Action Programme in December 1973 and the roles played by key Irish actors. 

The annual UK-Nordic-Baltic summit will take place in Riga on 28 February 2013. This blog analyses the purpose of this summit and asks how it could impact the EU’s agenda over the coming years.

The IIEA paper, Untying the Knot? Ireland, the UK and the EU, written by Dáithí O’Ceallaigh and James Kilcourse, examines Ireland’s strategic options in the face of changing UK-EU relations.

The Multiannual Financial Framework, Trade and External Relations are on the agenda for this week’s European Council summit. The budget negotiations are likely to dominate, with a deal considered crucial this week in order to allow the legislation to be in place by the beginning of 2014.

This paper highlights the challenges facing Ireland during its EU Presidency, presents the Irish Government’s approach and policy priorities, and explores domestic and international expectations for Ireland’s seventh Presidency.

Agreement has been reached on the establishment of a Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) for Eurozone states. The deal included a series of provisions to protect the interests of non-Eurozone Member States, led by the UK. However, concerns have been expressed this week at the long-term implications of banking union for the UK.

Some key points for reflection on the European Commission’s Blueprint for a Deep and Genunie Economic and Monetary Union, published on 28 November.

A number of developments in recent weeks have signalled the political will and momentum for an EU-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. However, the challenges and red lines have also become clearer.

France and Estonia are the latest countries to ratify the Fiscal Stability Treaty and Slovakia is due to follow suit this week. A number of other countries have started or made progress, leaving only Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary and Sweden yet to begin the process. According to a report prepared for the European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee meeting on 26 November 2012, the ratification procedure has been completed in fifteen Member States (of which twelve are Eurozone countries), although the final formal step of depositing the instruments of ratification with the Council of the European Union has only been carried out by twelve Member States (of which eight are Eurozone countries). It now appears likely that the required twelve Eurozone countries will deposit the instruments of ratification by the end of the year, allowing the Fiscal Stability Treaty to come into force on 1 January 2013 as planned. 

The past month has been a defining one in the UK’s relations with Europe and has set the scene for the next confrontation between the UK and its European partners in November 2012.