Europe and its citizens

The European Union is facing a number of key internal challenges. Following the largest expansion in its history, 27 countries must now strive to integrate their national structures and their citizens on a scale never seen before. The EU's governability will be measured in terms of its efficiency and transparency, as well as its democratic legitimacy -- issues that will play a significant role in the European elections scheduled for mid 2009.

As a community, the EU's integration-related efforts will be considered successful based on the extent to which Europe's citizens participate -- and feel they are participating -- in the whole integration process. This is a process, moreover, that includes not less than half a billion people, not to mention those people living in countries waiting to accede, including the Balkan states and, possibly, Turkey.

Exactly at such a critical moment, the EU's policies are lacking transparency. While issues such as which objective is currently in which phase or which goal should be achieved by when are laid out with great precision at summit meetings, they often disappear under a shroud of silence once they begin being implemented. As a result, Europe's citizens do not understand a considerable amount of what is taking place within the EU's complex systems. At the same time, they expect Europe to take a greater role on the world stage. Ultimately, post-enlargement Europe is lacking a common political culture and identity -- exactly what its citizens need in order to feel they are part of the whole. Such things cannot be legislated into being, of course; they must be achieved through dedication and effort.

The projects we carry out focusing on the EU and its current state are divided into two main areas:
-- The degree to which Europeans perceive themselves as citizens of the EU
-- Europe's institutions