Tag Archives: EU

The state of the world

Posted on January 10, 2013 | Leave a comment

Today is publication day for the new edition of The State of the World Atlas. It presents information about the world – economics, politics, conflict, health, environment and demography – in a variety of forms, primarily in maps and other visuals, also in text. If you will excuse me, I want to introduce it to you. Continue reading →

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Posted in The State of the World

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The EU’s Nobel Peace Prize

Posted on December 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

Today, Monday 10 December, in Oslo City Hall and then in the banqueting rooms of the Grand Hotel in the evening, the European Union receives and celebrates the Nobel Peace Prize 2012.

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Posted in Conflict & peace

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EU leaders: where’s the headline energy?

Posted on November 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

EU government leaders have put no headline energy into trying to end the warfare torturing eastern Congo for the past month. And you can’t blame that on being distracted by Israel retaliating against random rocket attacks from Gaza with an 8-day bombardment until Egypt brokered the ceasefire on 21 November. Heads of EU governments weren’t headline visible on Gaza either. They’re distracted by other things. Continue reading →

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Posted in The economic crunch

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Looking at some peacebuilding assumptions

Posted on February 3, 2012 | 3 Comments

My most recent post (29 Jan) reflected about peacebuilding inside the bounds of the European Union as well as outside. My thinking grew out of International Alert’s recently started work  in the UK. Going a bit further,  some more thoughts have appeared in the online magazine and discussion forum, openDemocracy. What follows is an abridged version. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, International development

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Peacebuilding IN Europe?

Posted on January 29, 2012 | 7 Comments

In 2001 – a different time and a different world – the EU Gothenburg summit agreed to make the prevention of violent conflict a priority for the EU. Measured by money, it’s now the world’s biggest player in peacebuilding. But look around Europe now and we can ask, should peacebuilding also start to be a priority inside the EU? Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, International development, Riots, The economic crunch

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Egypt and the outside powers

Posted on February 7, 2011 | 2 Comments

Now it is clear that Hosni Mubarak’s three decade presidency of Egypt cannot survive much longer, outside powers are visibly positioning themselves for the next phase. Hubristic temptations are clear but not everybody’s falling for them. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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EEAS update

Posted on December 10, 2010 | 1 Comment

News from Brussels: Council and Parliament still want the Commission’s policy and planning officers for peacebuilding and crisis response to transfer to the External Action service.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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EAS: officially launched but the tussle continues

Posted on December 3, 2010 | 1 Comment

The EU’s new External Action Service was officially launched on 1 December as High Representative Catherine Ashton addressed a meeting of EU ambassadors. But the tussle over whether it will include key peacebuilding staff from the Commission continues (see my post of 22 Nov). The Commission’s position hasn’t changed and neither has the Parliament’s. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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Time to rescue the EU’s External Action Service from the European Commission

Posted on November 22, 2010 | 2 Comments

The air in Brussels is thick with a storm over the European External Action Service, basically caused by the European Commission trying to break its word. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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The EAS: what it takes to succeed

Posted on August 23, 2010 | 2 Comments

Just before the summer shutdown, the last key decisions were taken to establish the EU’s new External Action Service – the European Parliament on 8 July and the Council of the EU on the 20th. As the EAS starts to become real, what can and should we expect from it? Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

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