With a newly turbulent geopolitical landscape, Europe has this year been forced to ask itself about its place as a unified global actor. The discussion at The State of the Union 2015 will identify the main challenges and opportunities that Europe is facing in today’s complex world, and will evaluate whether and how the EU could lead on an international stage, while remaining true to its core values. There will be a wide range of views and opinions on Europe’s foreign policy from different parts of the world, including but not limited to the Middle East and North Africa region, the USA and ASEAN. The debate will focus, among others, on the themes of international security, crisis response, peacekeeping and the responsibility to protect. Academics and experts in the field of Europe’s external relations will be joined by officials and high-level practitioners engaged in various aspects of foreign policy to discuss Europe’s role and place at this pivotal juncture in global politics, debating both the present and future of European foreign relations.

Since last years’ revelations of mass government surveillance, Europe has struggled to articulate a consistent stance on the balance between security and privacy. Our debate at the State of the Union 2015 will investigate the multidimensional and multidisciplinary aspects of surveillance, using the results of the FP7-funded project SURVEILLE (Surveillance: Ethical Issues, Legal Limitations, and Efficiency). The discussion will take into account, the complex legal and ethical balance between security and intrusion into privacy and other fundamental rights, the concept of Privacy by Design and its alternatives, cybersecurity, freedom of expression, the forms of smart surveillance in European Cities as well as the policy implications of these issues. Participants invited at the debate will include academics, government officials, experts and members of the EFUS (European Forum for Urban Security).