European University Institute State of the Union
The programme - State of the Union

The programme

ATTENDANCE TO THE CONFERENCE IS BY INVITATION ONLY

The event will be live streamed

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Wednesday 6 May 2015<br /><span class="location"><i class="uk-icon-map-marker"></i>Villa Salviati and Badia Fiesolana</span>

Wednesday 6 May 2015
Villa Salviati and Badia Fiesolana

The fifth edition of The State of the Union will open at the historic Villa Salviati, and will then move to the Church at the Badia Fiesolana.

On the first day, the debate will focus on the following themes:

ALCIDE DE GASPERI RESEARCH CENTRE
A NEW SCHUMAN DECLARATION

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Thursday 7 May 2015<br /><span class="location"><i class="uk-icon-map-marker"></i>Badia Fiesolana</span>

Thursday 7 May 2015
Badia Fiesolana

The second day, The State of the Union will be held at the Badia Fiesolana, the main building of the EUI campus.

The themes discussed on the second day will be:

SURVEILLANCE AND FREEDOM IN EUROPE
THE INTERFACE OF EUROPE WITH THE WORLD

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Friday 8 May 2015<br /><span class="location"><i class="uk-icon-map-marker"></i> Palazzo Vecchio</span>

Friday 8 May 2015
Palazzo Vecchio

The 3rd day of the conference will take place in the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace), located in the heart of the historic city of Florence.

The discussion will cover the following topics:

SURVEILLANCE AND FREEDOM IN EUROPE
THE INTERFACE OF EUROPE WITH THE WORLD

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Saturday 9 May 2015<br /><span class="location"><i class="uk-icon-map-marker"></i>Villa Salviati and Badia Fiesolana</span>

Saturday 9 May 2015
Villa Salviati and Badia Fiesolana

May 9th, known as Europe Day, marks the 65th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. On this special recurrence, Villa Salviati and Badia Fiesolana will be open to visitors from Florence and beyond, offering various activities targeted at raising awareness on Europe, particularly among families and children, as well as at informing about the activities conducted at the EUI.

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The State of the Union 2015 will focus on the four following themes:

Alcide De Gasperi Research Centre

Firstly, integration within Europe has climbed towards the top of the political agenda over the last year after the success of populist parties in the EU Parliamentary elections. For years many have sought to contextualize the issue with academic rigour. The State of the Union 2015 will host the foundation of the Alcide De Gasperi Research Centre on the History of European Integration, to study history of policies, practices, and ideas of integration in our recent past. The centre, named after De Gasperi, founder of Italy’s Christian Democracy Party, reflects the EUI’s recognition of the people who helped to shape Europe as we know it and will be a joint project between the EUI’s own department of History and Civilisation and the Historical Archives of the European Union.

A New Schuman Declaration

The critical challenges facing Europe today cannot be tackled merely by technical or governance solutions. There is the pressing need to define a new narrative for Europe, as Robert Schuman did on 9 may 1950. 65 years after his original Schuman Declaration, a milestone in the process of European political Integration, we will aim to renew and reexamine his vision by announcing a new Schuman Declaration for the 21st century. We will present a contemporary and compelling raison d’être for our Union. It will be written and presented by Giuliano Amato, former Prime Minister of Italy, Élisabeth Guigou, former French Minister of European Affairs, of Justice and of Employment and Solidarity, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former President of Latvia, and J.H.H. Weiler, President of the EUI.

The Interface of Europe with the World

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.

Surveillance and Freedom in Europe

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).