Kosmolinks #19

Today is Europe Day and there is a #myeurope blogging carnival! Time for a special issue of “Kosmolinks“. If you follow me on twitter – most of it will be familiar. Anyway, a few  weeks ago I attended the GARNET conference “EU and international affairs” in Brussels. Here is a very subjective summary and a few quotes I wrote down. Assuming the conference was held under the Chatham House rule I will not reveal any names (with the exception of the keynote speech by Barroso)

What did the Belgian daily De Standaard write when the Treaty of Rome was adopted?

This could be something important…

And another classic EU quote:

there are two categories of countries: the small ones and the ones that do not realise that they are small (Max Kohstamm)

Let’s start with the EU foreign policy basics.

Other continents play chess, the EU plays ping pong…

… working without strategy has its merits but time is changing and it does not work anymore…

EU integration can then be defined as a “method of not having a strategy”

About the EEAS:

It looks like a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is organised as a MFA, it works like a MFA but it is not called MFA? Well, it is still a MFA!

The future:

Did we learn the lessons to deal with “future Afghanistans”?

Enlargement has been one of the most defining characteristics of EU integration:

Enlargement a EU foreign policy tool?  No: enlargement is enlargement.  Foreign policy is foreign policy.

But remember:

EU enlargement can also happen by splitting up member states….

So, what is the European Union?

A super-Switzerland

EU geek fact of the day:

There are 19 references to the UN in the EU Treaties.

A universal quote for every decision maker:

I fully understand that political decisions are time consuming, but…

EU in 2010:

It has been a very bad year for the European Community: it was totally replaced by the European Union

If you need a good name for a committee you are about to set up what about:

EGFA = Expert Group for Further Action

Some quotes by José Manuel Barroso (the keynote speaker) who  does not like “the intellectual glamor of pessimism”:

this academic conference reminds me of the time when I still had the time for reflection.

EU is not a federal state. Comparisons with federal states will be disappointing. Good results if compared to international organisations  or other regions regions

We are a non-imperial empire.

Realists are wrong most of the time. Realism is the closest thing to cynicism.

If Europe does not get more united it gets more dis-united.

Foreign policy starts at home.

I quote the Lisbon treaty because I believe that the Member States have read it before they signed it…

The EU interest is more than the sum of the national interests.

Today is Europe Day and there is a #myeurope blogging carnival! Time for a special issue of "Kosmolinks". If you follow me on twitter - most of it will be familiar. Anyway, a few  weeks ago I attended the GARNET conference "EU and international affairs" in Brussels. Here is a very subjective summary and a few quotes I wrote down. Assuming the conference was held under the Chatham House rule I will not reveal any names (with the exception of the keynote speech by Barroso) What did the Belgian daily De Standaard write when the Treaty of Rome was adopted? This could be something important... And another classic EU quote: there are two categories of countries: the small ones and the ones that do not realise that they are small (Max Kohstamm) Let's start with the EU foreign policy basics. Other continents play chess, the EU plays ping pong... ... working without strategy has its merits but time is changing and it does not work anymore... EU integration can then be defined as a "method of not having a strategy" About the EEAS: It looks like a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is organised as a MFA, it works like a MFA but it is not called MFA? Well, it is still a MFA! The future: Did we learn the lessons to deal with "future Afghanistans"? Enlargement has been one of the most defining characteristics of EU integration: Enlargement a EU foreign policy tool?  No: enlargement is enlargement.  Foreign policy is foreign policy. But remember: EU enlargement can also happen by splitting up member states.... So, what is the European Union? A super-Switzerland EU geek fact of the day: There are 19 references to the UN in the EU Treaties. A universal quote for every decision maker: I fully understand that political decisions are time consuming, but... EU in 2010: It has been a very bad year for the European Community: it was totally replaced by the European Union If you need a good name for a committee you are about to set up what about: EGFA = Expert Group for Further Action Some quotes by José Manuel Barroso (the keynote speaker) who  does not like "the intellectual glamor of pessimism": this academic conference reminds me of the time when I still had the time for reflection. EU is not a federal state. Comparisons with federal states will be disappointing. Good results if compared to international organisations  or other regions regions We are a non-imperial empire. Realists are wrong most of the time. Realism is the closest thing to cynicism. If Europe does not get more united it gets more dis-united. Foreign policy starts at home. I quote the Lisbon treaty because I believe that the Member States have read it before they signed it... The EU interest is more than the sum of the national interests.