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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151111
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151115
DTSTAMP:20260509T035600
CREATED:20200226T104742Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200616T110805Z
UID:4696-1447282800-1447541999@www.formermembers.eu
SUMMARY:2015 FMA Visit to Luxembourg
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”7900″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Ressources” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23001da0″ google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:800%20bold%20regular%3A800%3Anormal”][vc_column_text el_class=”download-box-list”] \n\nDossier\nFinal report\n\n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The trip to the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU was done this year together with the Study day 2015. The trip took place from 12 to 14 November 2015. Meetings took place at the Court of Justice of the European Union\, the European Court of Auditors\, the Chamber of Deputies and the Association of the Former Members of the Chamber of Deputies. An optional visit to Schengen was organised on Saturday 14 November.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Mission report \nDuring a study visit to Luxembourg City – Luxembourg holds the EU Council Presidency for the second half of 2015 – the delegation met a number of senior figures from the Court of Auditors. \nWe received a warm welcome from Henri Grethen\, the Luxembourg Member of the court\, who gave an extremely interesting presentation on how the institution works (the presentation is available at eca. europa.eu and is recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the court). For 2015\, the court\, which has 900 members of staff\, has an operating budget of EUR 141.3 million. It performs audits on the European Development Fund\, the EU’s 51 agencies and other bodies\, loans and borrowings\, including in connection with the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism\, as well as the European Central Bank\, focusing on the operational efficiency of the bank’s management.\nIliana Ivanova\, the Bulgarian Member of the court\, spoke about her regular contacts with Parliament’s specialised committees\, political groups and individual rapporteurs. Given that some of our colleagues had sat on the Committee on Budgetary Control\, a number of highly specific and detailed questions were asked during the discussion. \nFabrice Mercade stressed the importance of inter institutional relations. He said the court was keen to ensure that greater account was taken of its remarks\, as its recommendations often went unheeded. The court would be moving to an interactive\,  paperless communication strategy and its spokesperson would start using social media to bring the court’s activities to the attention of a wider audience.  Lazaros S. Lazarou’s presentation on the annual report for 2014 and beyond was of particular interest\, as it was the first report to cover the multiannual plan for 2014-2020.   The report stated that the primary focus would be on performance and that the lower-than-forecast rate of 4.4% (instead of 5.5%) had been achieved as a result of management assessment measures. \nA large number of questions were asked by the 10 speakers\, each of whom had a limited time slot. The topics addressed included the functioning of the court – in particular the arrangements for appointing auditors a phrase famously uttered by the father of modern science\, Galileo Galilei. The exhibition focuses on the relationship between the visual arts and technology in creating a shared\, collaborative space. In the same spirit\, even the café\, where we spent a pleasant few moments\, is an integral part of the museum visit\, being made up of two long tables nestled under a canopy designed by the Bouroullec brothers. MUDAM’s location on the Kirchberg plateau\, a bustling hub of modern Europe\, is perfect for exploring some of Luxembourg’s most interesting architecture just across the Court of Justice\, where we spent a day to gain a better understanding of the EU’s legal set-up following last month’s reform. The CJEU\, designed by Dominique Perrault\, is an imposing\, iconic building more than half a kilometre long and with around 124 000 m2 of floor space. It is located in Luxembourg’s business district and stands alongside offices and banks including Christophe Ingenhoven’s cutting-edge European Investment Bank building.\nThe CJEU\, which has a wonderful display of art works\, is arranged over several levels\, with a height difference of 12 m between the square on which the original building was constructed and the 300m-long covered gallery that lies below. The gallery links the buildings and houses the café\, the canteen\, a spacious law library and a number of courtrooms. The two 24-storey\, 107m-high tower blocks clad in golden anodised aluminium are particularly striking. The towers light up when the sun’s rays reach them in the morning and turn an intense golden colour at sunset. The President of the CJEU\, Koen Lenaerts\, reminded us of the Court’s key role in ensuring that Community law is applied uniformly in all the Member States\, which is essential if the EU is to retain its credibility. Pieces of legislation adopted under the codecision procedure sometimes contain shortcomings that leave them open to different interpretations and it is the Court’s task to give a clear\, transparent and unambiguous interpretation. The Court has an extremely busy research department which carries out research in all areas with reference to the national legal systems of the 28 Member States. A number of meetings with judges and staff\, attendance at a hearing in the main courtroom and discussions on a number of important cases with Paschalis Paschalidis\, legal secretary to the First Advocate-General\, and Claudia Schmidt\, legal secretary to Judge Egils Levits\, helped us gain a clearer picture of how the CJEU goes about ensuring that the Lisbon Treaty is correctly interpreted and applied. The group discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the recently approved General Court reform during an informative round-table discussion with Court of Justice judges Alexander Arabadjiev\, Francois Biltgen and Maria Berger\, General Court judge Maryanna Kancheva\, and Civil Service Tribunal judge Rofes i Pujol. \nThe CJEU reform consists in increasing the number of judges at the General Court and incorporating the Civil Service Tribunal into the General Court. The approval of the reform\, and the resulting strengthening of the General Court\, means that the CJEU will be able to continue to work efficiently on behalf of EU citizens in delivering high-quality judgments. The reform will help the CJEU to keep up with an increased caseload and to guarantee that judgments are handed down within a reasonable time as established in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. \nMonica Baldi EPP-ED\, Italy (1994-1999) \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4697″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4699″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:http://www.formermembers.eu/event/2015-fma-visit-to-luxembourg/
CATEGORIES:Visit to National Parliaments
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151116
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151119
DTSTAMP:20260509T035600
CREATED:20200608T153513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200616T155035Z
UID:10129-1447714800-1447887599@www.formermembers.eu
SUMMARY:UNITED KINGDOM - UNIVERSITY OF BATH - Michael HINDLEY
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe University of Bath invited Michael HINDLEY to take part in a panel discussion on Britain’s membership of the EU. \nMission report: VISIT TO BATH UNIVERSITY \nI had already accepted an invitation to be a FMA guest lecturer at the University of Bath (17th-18th November 2015) when the additional request came for me to take part in a panel discussion on Britain’s membership of the EU. Readers will be well aware that Premier Cameron has offered an ‘in-out’ referendum which now will take place as early as summer 2016. Bath\, a spa town in Roman times\, did not host a university until the 1960s and the university’s stark concrete functionalist buildings seem planned to contrast with the stylish and elegant town centre dating from Regency times. \nDuring my time as an MEP\, a German colleague of me always joked\, ‘every time there is a debate about next steps for the EU\, in the UK the debate always starts with whether your country should be in the EU at all !’ 2015 has seen two seismic shocks threatening to bring down two pillars of EU integration. The Greek debt crisis and the mass infl ux of refugees have raised existential questions about the Euro and Schengen. By luck and good judgement the UK stayed out of both. And so whilst the EU debates the future shape of the EU\, the UK is plunged into a debate about actual membership. ‘Grexit’ followed by ‘Brexit’? The original invitation was to address an under-graduate course entitled ‘Europe and Global Politics’. This subject suited me not only because of my previous activity as Vice-President of the EP’s REX Committee\, but also because I am currently acting as an expert for the European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) preparing a report on the Commission’s ‘Trade for All’ communication. Interestingly\, the communication is sub-titled ‘Towards a more responsible trade and investment policy’\, implying perhaps that the Commission’s previous trade policies were not quite as ‘responsible’ as they should have been. Certainly on of the great clichés of the 1990s\, namely that ‘a rising tide raises all boats’\, has proven to be illusory. The Commission previous strategy\, ‘Global Europe’\, quite explicitly acknowledged that the benefi ts of liberalised trade had not been shared by all. The lunch time panel discussion was a lively affair. Two academics joined me on the panel\, one specialising in ‘Euroscepticism’\, a subject unlikely to exhaust research material in any immediate future\, especially in the UK. Though the issue of a possible UK exit – ‘Brexit’ – usually generates more heat than light\, this was not the case at Bath University. The questions were based on knowledge\, a rare treat when debating the EU in Britain! When I studied Modern Languages at London University in the 1960s ‘foreign’ lecturers outside beyond temporary ‘assistants’ were rare. Now it is commonplace to fi nd international staff throughput a wide range of subjects. My visit was organised by a Spanish academic and the class tutor was a Lithuanian\, a happy sign that integration is happening at one important level\, that ofacademic exchange.\n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:http://www.formermembers.eu/event/united-kingdom-university-of-bath-michael-hindley/
CATEGORIES:EP to campus
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://www.formermembers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/bath1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151123
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151126
DTSTAMP:20260509T035600
CREATED:20200608T150613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200616T155027Z
UID:10103-1448319600-1448492399@www.formermembers.eu
SUMMARY:UNITED KINGDOM - UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON - David HALLAM
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe University of East London invited David HALLAM to meet young students of the university for a conference called “Reconnecting East London Youth to Europe: Political and civic engagement“. \nMission report: RECONNECTING EAST LONDON YOUTH TO EUROPE \nThe University of East London is located in one of the poorest parts of London. However its Docklands Campus includes a wonderful sports hall and residential halls from the ‘Olympic Legacy’ of the 2012 games. I was particularly interested in contributing to the programme here because the University serves the area of London in which I was born and spent my childhood. I feel it was a plus that I was able to say to the young people that I come from a similar background and have gone on to represent my party both on a borough council and the European Parliament. On the fi rst day I met with leading members of the students’ union\, the politics faculty and made a presentation to the third year international politics BA class. \nMy discussion with the students’ union ranged from housing to the diffi culties faced by mature students\, outlining the issues they faced with a diverse student base\, many of them\, like me\, fi rst generation undergraduates. My presentation to the International Politics undergraduates focussed on the size\, structure\, history and aspirations of the European Union. I then outlined the working life of an MEP and the particular issues that face the UK especially as we approach the referendum on continuing membership. There was a great deal of interest in the referendum and I got the feeling that most would prefer the UK to remain. After the lecture I spoke with several students who wanted to know about career opportunities within the EU structure. \nThe second day proved to be very challenging. The University invited four local schools to a special conference. These were fi fty young people who were preparing for the transition from secondary school to undergraduate courses. I briefl y repeated my presentation from the previous day. We divided them up into the EP’s eight political groups and then set them the task of creating an agreed motion on the refugee crisis. The majority of the young people were from ethnic minorities\, had parents who were refugees or had been refugees themselves. The young people were very impressive in the approach they took to this task. For some it must have been diffi cult trying to understandand respond to political viewpoints with which they had no sympathy. \nEventually we achieved a consensus with some of the bargaining between groups interesting to watch. There were certainly several future MEPs in the room. I just hope that the UK remains long enough for them to take their seats. I spoke at length on a one to one basis with teachers and young people from each of the four schools. One school has established a ‘Feminist Club’ and they asked if I would be prepared to visit them and discuss my recent Master’s thesis on the fi rst UK women parliamentary candidates in 1918. Finally I think I should comment on the lecturers and teachers I met during the programme. Sadly\, in the UK\, the teaching profession has been seriously undermined by politicians\, some regretfully even within my own party. It was fascinating to see how the staff worked with the young people both undergraduates and from the secondary school. Teaching is a precious skill and a profession that politicians should respect.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:http://www.formermembers.eu/event/united-kingdom-university-of-east-london-david-hallam/
CATEGORIES:EP to campus
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://www.formermembers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/east-london.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151204
DTSTAMP:20260509T035600
CREATED:20200608T134825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200616T155251Z
UID:10065-1448924400-1449183599@www.formermembers.eu
SUMMARY:UNITED KINGDOM - DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY IN LEICESTER - Slavi BINEV
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nDe Montfort University has invited Slavi BINEV  to a conference and seminars with students from 1 to 3 December 2015. \nSlavi BINEV participated in this event. \nMission report: A MEETING WITH THE FUTURE LEADERS \nIt was a true honor to take part in this great initiative and to visit this prestigious University\, De Montfort University. How someone like me would feel in a University which have long occupied top positions in all university rankings? I saw a place where science is being made\, a place where people actually work for the improvement of the society and a place where leaders are being prepared. \nThrough the halls of this Alma Mater used to pass individuals who play today a vital role in determining our future. I am sure the list of notable representatives of the University will eventually become even bigger. Students are defi nitely lucky to have professors like those I had the pleasure to meet and communicate with. We are talking about people who clearly are not walking on the path of dry theory\, we are talking about academic representatives who truly understand the processes and events that are happening now in the world. Politics is like an organism that is constantly changing. This may be due to our work\, the human relations\, etc. Therefore\, we should look at the political process from every angle in order to understand them better. These professors are fully aware of this. I hail the desire of the professors to develop the debate by inviting current or former politicians with different views. We know that there is no better teacher than experience. By sharing it with the young people we actually prepare them better for the real life. \nI am delighted that the students showed remarkable interest in the future of the EU and the development of the international political scene. As I stated before them\, ‘only by demonstrating active attitude\, perseverance and persistence it’s possible to bring the change that we all desire’ I hope that I managed to grab the attention of the students and to challenge their curiosity. This would be a great reward for me because I would like to witness some day the emergence of a whole new generation of specialists who will further propel our development. I think that the discussions we had together were more than worthwhile. My colleagues from the European Parliament were amazing interlocutors. The information they shared with all of us was interesting and very valuable. As a former MP of the European Parliament and current member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria\, I think that the exchange of ideas\, views with foreign partners defi nitely enriched my politician identity. Once more\, I would like to express my gratitude for the invitation to participate in this event and I am open to new joint projects in the future. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:http://www.formermembers.eu/event/united-kingdom-de-montfort-university-in-leicester-slavi-binev/
CATEGORIES:EP to campus
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://www.formermembers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/de-monfort1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151204
DTSTAMP:20260509T035600
CREATED:20200608T134825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200608T144658Z
UID:10078-1448924400-1449183599@www.formermembers.eu
SUMMARY:UNITED KINGDOM - DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY IN LEICESTER - Birgit DAIBER
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nDe Montfort University has invited a former Member of Parliament to a conference and seminars with students from 1 to 3 December 2015. \nBirgit DAIBER participated in this event. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:http://www.formermembers.eu/event/united-kingdom-de-montfort-university-in-leicester-slavi-binev-3/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://www.formermembers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/de-monfort1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151204
DTSTAMP:20260509T035600
CREATED:20200608T134825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200616T155018Z
UID:10079-1448924400-1449183599@www.formermembers.eu
SUMMARY:UNITED KINGDOM - DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY IN LEICESTER - Michael ELLIOTT
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nDe Montfort University has invited a former Member of Parliament to a conference and seminars with students from 1 to 3 December 2015. \nMichael ELLIOTT participated in this event. \nMission report: 3 DAYS EVENT AT MONTFORT UNIVERSITY  \nThis was a very interesting and enjoyable event in which I took part with former German MEP Birgit Daiber and former Bulgarian MEP Slavi Binev. During the course of three days we met and talked with University staff and students from the Department of Politics & Public Policy as well students from high schools in Leicester and in an open public event with the local community. Mostly we participated together\, though individually in one or two sessions. De Montfort University is one of the newer British universities\, which offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering many areas of the arts and Sciences. It originated in the late nineteenth century as a local College of Art\, which over the years integrated with other local institutions\, becoming a polytechnic in 1969 and fi nally achieving University status in 1992. It draws students from all over the UK and from abroad\, though many are from the City of Leicester itself\, which has one of the most multi-ethnic and multi-faith communities in Britain. The University is now a Jean Monnet Centre of European Governance. \nWe were hosted by Professor Alasdair Blair\, who is Head of the Department of Politics and Public Policy\, as well as many staff of the Department who all made us very welcome. We attended and took part in sessions with students on a number of topics\, including the political dynamics of the Black Sea Region; nationalism\, migration & community relations; the lack of suffi cient women in positions of power and on European Economic issues. We learned with interest that students are preparing a document embodying ‘100 ideas for Europe’ which will be presented to the British Parliament next May. Of particular interest was a session with older students from local schools and colleges on various aspects of the EU including its historic development as well as many current key issues. Much of this session focused on the forthcoming British referendum on EU membership\, including both the many important achievements of the EU and the dangers of a possible British exit. \nPerhaps\, the highlight was an open evening ‘European Question Time’ attended by well over a hundred students and local residents. The questions were very varied\, but again the issue of the British referendum and its implications predominated. Several questioners wanted positive reasons for Britain’s continued membership\, not just the risks of leaving. This gave me an opportunity to highlight the many achievements of the EU – peace in Europe\, improving trade\, tackling environmental problems jointly and greater citizen’s rights – as well as the benefi ts of free movement for young people in particular. Birgit and Slavi were also able to make valuable contributions from their own perspective on the importance of Britain’s continued EU membership. It was encouraging to learn that a survey of students at the University showed over 70% in favour of Britain’s continued EU membership\,though sadly this is not refl ected by current polling of the British electorate as a whole\, which is much more evenly balanced. I would like to congratulate De Montfort University and its Politics Department staff in particular for arranging such a worthwhile programme of activities\, which I am sure was much appreciated by allwho took part.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:http://www.formermembers.eu/event/united-kingdom-de-montfort-university-in-leicester-slavi-binev-2/
CATEGORIES:EP to campus
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://www.formermembers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/de-monfort1.jpg
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