CONTENTS:
1.       A Word from the Chairman
2.       EDRC News
2.1     Civil Society Project 
2.2     MESA Project
2.3     Europe Close to You Fair
3.       News and Events
3.1     Malta
3.2     Europe
4.       Call for Papers
5.       Courses

1. A WORD FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Welcome to another year of activities at the EDRC.  Work proceeds on the Civil Society Project (Year 4 already).  This year our theme is "The Fight Against Poverty".

We will be organising another series of Jean Monnet Seminars on the Reform of the Treaties, starting in January.  Details will appear on the EDRC webpage, but some details are to be found under the MESA section in this Newsletter.  I look forward to your participation in this series, in which we will examine the Reform Treaty in greater depth.

Once again, my thanks go to all of you for your support.  Of course, I thank the European Commission, the University and the Former Members' Association of the European Parliament for their continued support.

This Newsletter draws your attention to a whole range of activities and events and we hope you find it useful.

Looking forward to a busy and rewarding year for all of us.

Peter G. Xuereb
Chairman
October 2007

2. EDRC NEWS

2.1. Civil Society Project 

The EDRC Conference held on 20th September 2007 on Business Ethics in the European Union and Malta was a successful event, very well attended by people coming from all walks of life particularly by the business community. The papers stimulated discussion during the time allocated for discussion and the workshop session in the afternoon. 

This Conference was made possible with the support of the European Commission through the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Project.
 

From left: Ms Michelle Montebello (EDRC staff member), Prof. Tonino Perna, Prof. Ted Fuller, Hon. Mr Edwin Vassallo, Prof. Peter G. Xuereb, Mr Michael J. Hindley, Prof. Enrique Banus, Ms Irene Soltwedel Schafer, Prof. Franco Praussello, Ms Doris Mangion (EDRC Communications Officer)

More images of the Conference: 
toptable
audience
audience

The proceedings of the Conference were published in book form titled "The "Good" Company: Business Ethics in the EU and Malta".  This complements the Civil Society Project Report 2007 which includes the papers of the Project participants who are either academics or NGO representatives.

Both Civil Society Project publications are now available in a single CD.  The CD will be circulated shortly to all Conference participants and to all European Documentation Centres (EDCs) worldwide.

The Civil Society Project is now in its fourth year, and the theme is Poverty.  The focus is a local, within a Mediterranean and European dimension.  A team of academics and NGOs is already gearing up for meetings and discussions which would eventually lead to a synergy of papers in the next Report. 
 

2.2.MESA 
We are currently planning the 2007-2008 seminar series, and the following is a provisional programme:

- Around mid-January 2008
Speaker: Prof. Timothy S. Boylan, Winthrop University, Department of Political Science, South California
Topic: The Reform Treaty: Constitutionalism in the European Union from an American Perspective.

- Around the end of April and beginning of May 2008
Speaker: Prof. Robin C.A. White, Head of the Department of Law, the University of Leicester, UK
Topic: The Reform Treaty: Some Human Rights Issues

- Beginning of July 2008
Speaker: Prof. Jo Shaw, Salvesen Chair of European Institutions and Co-ordinator of the Europa Institute, Edinburgh Law School, The University of Edinburgh
Topic: Policy Implications in the Reform Treaty in the Justice and Home Affairs Field

Further details and the announcement of the topic and speaker for another seminar will follow in the next issues of this e-newsletter.

Prof. John A. Usher's paper presented in a MESA Seminar on 19th July 2007 is now available online.
Read the paper
 

2.3.  Europe Close To You Fair 
9th to 12th January 2008
Venue: Freedom Square, Valletta
The EDRC is participating for the third consecutive year in the Europe Close To You Fair which is organised jointly by the European Commission Representation Office in Malta, the European Parliament Office in Valletta and the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC). 
All EDRC publications displayed at the stand during the fair will be offered at half price.

This event brings together under one roof most of the local EU information providers.
The fair will be open all day between Wednesday and Friday targeting school children in the morning and the elderly in the evening.  A public debate (speakers tba) is being organised for the Saturday morning. The selected theme for this year's event will be the €URO.  So people, from all walks of life, who are interested in EU affairs may visit the fair seeing for themselves the variety of information that can be found, in Malta, on the EU. Information is available at the fair and it helps to direct people to obtain answers to their queries. Over 15 different EU information providers, including EU institutions together with EU information providers based locally will disseminate information on particular EU sponsored programmes whilst answer to questions from the public.
During the fair a number of activities will be held.

3.NEWS AND EVENTS

3.1. MALTA

1997-2007: MSA 10th Anniversary
International Conference
Theme: Corporate Social Responsability
Date: Monday 26th November 2007
Time: 8:30 am-16:30pm
Please make cheque payable to:
Malta Standards Authority
Tel: 2124 2420 
Fax: 2124 2406
Email: donna.zammit@msa.org.mt
Read more
 

3.2. EUROPE 

Poland and the EU: Evaluating the First Three Years of Membership 
16th to 17th November 2007
Venue: Polish Embassy London, UK
The European Research Institute of the University of Birmingham and the Sussex European Institute are co-organising a conference on Poland's first three years of EU membership.
Over the past three years, the Polish Government's European Policy has been a source of considerable controversy and has been widely criticised
More info:www.eri.bham.ac.uk 
Contact Dr. Nathaniel Copsey at the ERI: n.copsey@bham.ac.uk for information or to register

ATHGO 
20th to 23rd November 2007
ATHGO has partnered with the United Nations Global Alliance for the ICT Development (UN GAID) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the upcoming 3-day global forum "Youth and ICT as Agents of Change." The forum will be held at the world renowned International Conference Centre and aims to harness the creativity and dynamism of today's young people as they explore ICTs for their own benefit and for the benefit of their peers and communities in advancement of the United Nations Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). The Forum will actively engage the participants in debates and discussions with their peer representatives, policy makers, representatives from the private sector, and other stakeholders in exploring ways to empower the community and to participate more fully in society through the appropriate and responsible use of ICTs. 
Read more

International Conference: EU Neighbourhood Policy and Migrations. The role of the Youth in Action and Euromed Youth III Programmes. 
Canary Islands, Spain 
27th November to  2nd December 2007
Conference main goals:

• To acknowledge the main achievements occurred since the EU creation, its active role through its Euromed policies and the new challenges EU has to face.
• To promote an active, efficient and authentic neighbourhood policy in terms of migrations, involving and committing young people in this process.
• To use the new programmes (YIA and Euromed Youth III) to face the current challenges within the Neighbourhood Policy.
• To share tools, methods and strategies related with good practices which emerged in the previous EU funding period.

• are experienced in the youth field, familiar with these topics of working with migrants;
• are open to enrich their knowledge and awareness regarding the other cultures; 
• are committed to prepare themselves for the handled subjects, previous to their arrival and to do the remote work requested by the team in case of selection;
• are interested to develop projects within the Youth in Action and Euromed Youth Programmes;
• are supported by their organisation and have green light for implementing YOUTH projects;
• are able to communicate and work in at least one of the two working languages of this event (English and French);
• are residents in a European Union Member State and/ or one of the EU partner countries.

Tom Bradley International Hall, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
Los Angeles
27th February  to 1st March  2008
A diverse group of 300 students and young entrapreneurs will convene at UCLA's Tom Bradley International Hall for ATHGO's Fifth Annual Global Forum titled "Global Warming: Changes in Attitude Not the Weather". The four-day practicum based event will focus on the most pressing environmental issues concerning Global Warming and Climate Change. Participants will discuss and explore the effects of Global Warming, its effects and implications, various solutions and the impediments to systematic change.

The forum will commence with Vice President Al Gore's Climate project presentation. Participants will find out the causes, consequenses and ramifications of global warming from world class scientists. Diplomats will address the issue of political will required to pursue various legislative and regulatory changes in their countries, and representatives from international institutions will address the efforts that the international community is pursuing, including the challenges and obstacles associated with establishing consensus amongst the developing and developed world. Senior executives from the private sector will outline the latest technological innovations, from alternative energy products to more environmentally friendly solutions, and the influence that incentives and other regulatory requirements have had in redefining basic business models and modes of operation, regardless of industry.
Read more
 

T.M.C Asser Institute Launches New EU- Definition
1st to 3rd September 2008
The 38th UACES Annual Conference is an opportunity to present a paper to an audience from a broad range of European-related disciplines in the light of the results of the meeting of the European Council in June 2007. The Asser Round Table on the Nature of the European Union was held on the 7th September 2007 in The Hague and was attended both by legal experts and (former) politicians, including the Dutch Minister of Justice. The meeting concluded in line with a recent advice of the Dutch Council of State - that the outlines of the new Reform Treaty , as agreed upon by the European Council, clearly indicate that the Union is not any longer heading for a federal state. Instead, the European Union continues to develop into a new and unique phenomenon in the international law. The meeting considered that the EU has been founded in 1992 as a Union of Citizens and Member States and that the Union has obtained more distinct and unique qualities ever since, notably through the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. The meeting concluded that a Union of Citizens and Member States must be identified from a legal point of view as a new category of international law and that the European Union can be defined as an organisation of sovreign states, in which the citizens of the Member States are also citizens of the Union and in which the governance of the Union is not only bound by the rule of law, but is also required to meet similar democratic standards as the governance of the respective Member States.
This new EU definition was presented by the European Commission in Brussels on the 3rd October 2007. The conclusions of the Asser Round Table will encourage politicians and citizens alike to realise that the Period of Reflection has not only resulted in the draft of a new Reform Treaty, but also in a definition of the European Union, which is based upon that Reform Treaty.
For more info: Dr. Wybe Th. Douma, Head Department European Law at the T.M.C. Asser Institute
Tel: +31 (0) 70 3420368
E-Mail: w.t.douma@asser.nl
or
Mr. Jacob Hoeksma
Tel: +31 (0) 20 770 55 62
E-Mail: j.hoeksma@chello.nl

Internship opportunities
ATHGO is currently recruiting interns for the Yeveran and Los Angeles event, UN GAID, UNITAR, and ATHGO also have on-line positions available. These internships range from a week to a few months, depending upon the position.
Read more
 

4. CALL FOR PAPERS

Nationalism, East and West: Civic and Ethnic Conceptions of Nationhood
15th April to 16th April 2008
Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism
London School of Economics
The conference will include keynote addresses from leading scholars in the field, along with opportunities for scholars from various disciplines to examine the relevance of ethnic and civic conceptions of nationhood in a series of panel sessions.

Suggested themes include:

• Civic and Ethnic Aspects of Nation Formation
• Is Nationalism a European Phenomenon?
• Alternatives to Civic and Ethnic Nationalism
• Experiences of Historical Migrant Nations
• Citizenship and Immigration
• Multiculturalism

18 April 1948: Italy between Continuity and Rupture
18th to 19th April 2008
University of Reading and Italian Culture Institute in London
Closes 14th December
After one of the fiercest electoral campaigns in the history of the country and the mobilisation of all sectors of society and international actors, the Christian Democrats and their allies gained the majority of the votes at the elections of the 18th April 1948, thus officially inaugurating the history of the new Italian Republic.
The 1948 elections have traditionally been seen by scholars as a watershed between war-time Italy and the return to 'normality'. The end of the Resistance and the creation of new political institutions opened the way to a new-found love for foreign literature, the foundation of publishing houses, the cultural influence of the US and the emergence of a young generation of artists, movie directors and actors. At the same time, underlying continuities exerted a strong impact on the cultural, historical and economic development of Italy. The North/ South divide, the backward economic structure, the administrative centralisation, the legal tradtition, the role of the Catholic Church are only a few of the most notable examples of the legacy of the pre-war time.
Through the multidisciplinary approach that brings together history, politics, literature, legal studies and international relations, this conference re-examines the significance of 18th April 1948. It assesses in what ways the legacies of WWII, of the fascist regime and of Liberal Italy have influenced the foundation of the new Italian Republic and to what degree 1948 can be seen as a 'watershed in the History of Italy'

The organisers welcome the submission of proposals and panels on any aspects of Italian History and culture and which relate to the issues highlighted above. Please send 300-word proposal, including your name, position and academic affiliation via e-mail to Dr. Linda Rosso (l.rosso@reading.ac.uk) by Monday 31st December 2007
Organisers: Prof Richard Bosworth, Prof Christopher Duggan, Dr Linda Rosso
For all practical information: Ms Nina Leontieff (n.leontieff@reading.ac.uk)

University Association of Contemporary European Studies (UACES)
Annual Conference
Exchanging Ideas on Europe 2008: Rethinking the European Union
University of Edinburgh, UK
1st to 3rd September 2008
Closes 14th December
The 38th UACES Annual Conference is an opportunity to present a paper to an audience from a broad range of European-related disciplines.

At Edinburgh, there will be a number of Research Sessions embedded within the conference programme which together, comprise the Research Conference. During each Session there will be a number of different Research Panels; as these panels will be held in parallel you will need to pick and choose which panels to attend. The diverse nature of 'European Studies' is such that not all panels will be of interest to all participants.

All paper-givers are asked to read the guidelines for presenting a paper. In the feedback that we have received from previous conferences, the strongest criticism has been directed at those who turn up unprepared and unrehearsed.

An integral part of the Research Conference is for delegates to take the initiative and to communicate with each other, both before and after the conference. To enable this, email addresses will be published on the conference website along with the abstracts of the papers.

By submitting a paper proposal, you are making a reasonably firm commitment towards attending the conference and for being available to present your paper on any day of the conference.

We ask that you investigate the cost of attending the conference before submitting your proposal. Paper-givers are expected to pay a registration fee for the conference. We will endeavour to publish the fees to this website as soon as feasible; in the meantime, you can refer to the web-pages for the previous conference in Portsmouth to get a rough idea of what to expect.

Finally, the local organisers have asked to point out that throughout August and early September, Edinburgh is home to a variety of festivals that draw large international crowds. Due to this festival season, early booking for accommodation is strongly recommended. Edinburgh is, quite literally, bursting at the seams. UACES has reserved a block of rooms in the Student Halls which will be available to book when registration opens in March 2008.
Read more

Energy in Europe and North America: From a National to Human Security?
A German Marshall Fund of the United States
Policy Research Conference on Energy Security
University of Trento, Italy
18th to 19th April 2008
The aim of the Conference is to explore whether Europe and North America are diverging in the way they see energy security. Rather than take a narrow and conventional view of both security and energy, the conference wants to bring together a number of different strands of the current debate about energy and examine them within a broader debate about the meaning of security.
Read more

5. COURSES

European Training Institute-Brussels, Belgium
To know more about the European Training Institute, its Faculty, and full range of Public and Customised programmes. 
Visit our website at : www.e-t-i.be
57 Rue Froissart-B-1040 Brussels- Belgium
Phone: +32 (0)2 400 77 30
Fax: +32 (0)2 732 75 25
info@e-t-i.be

The Comitology Reform: A seminar that helps one to understand the << new >> comitology and its consequences on PA practices. Seminar Dates:
12th November
4th December

"Comitology Implementation for REACH": This seminar is practical from start to finish. Participants will actively work on the implementation of REACH helping them to understand how the system works and how to intervene.
Read more

EU Concours
An interactive 3-day seminar Delivered by European Officials 
Courses take place Friday to Sunday
9th to 11th  November 2007
European Training Institute is the only training centre in Brussels offering a full range of programmes and seminars dedicated to European Public Affairs. European Training Institute programmes and seminars are fully interactive. They examine all aspects of Public Affairs management, the working of the European Institutions and the best ways of influencing their policies.

European Training Institute presents the first complete package for EU exam preparation based on a precise methodology to give you a competitive advantage when sitting for the EU's entry exams.

EU Executive Seminar - Business Implications of Climate Change
22nd to 23rd November 2007 
Brussels
The College of Europe in association with several renowned companies, is launching its new EU Executive Programme with a seminar on "Business Implications on Climate Change". This Executive Seminar is open to senior executives and managers, consultants, lobbyists, EU affairs experts, civil servants and diplomats. 

EU Negotiations in Practice
26th November - 30th November 2007, Bruges and Brussels
The aim of this course is to train in EU negotiations as well as the skills needed to negotiate successfully. Primarily designed for officials, the seminar has also attracted professionals from the private sector and civil society organisations. 

American University of Armenia
Yerevan, Armenia
20th to 23rd November 2007 
Sustainable Growth in Information and Communication Technologies and Hi- Tech through Education
For 4 days, 300 College students and young professionals from Armenia, the Region, and around the world will convene at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan, Armenia, to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with ensuring growth in Information and Communication technologies and hi- tech challenges and opportunities from the perspective of developing and developed nations.
The four-day event will focus on the following objectives:

• Introduction and review of the various opportunities and challenges associated with the incorporation of ICT's and hi-tech related curricula in the institutions of higher learning and education.
• Challenges and opportunities faced by the private sector in the recruitment of individuals for the hi-tech market.
• Perspective of multi-national corporations with branch offices in developing countries and why/ how they determine when to open a branch in a developing country.

Analysis of innovative ways to further strenghten and develop private sector-university partnerships in an effort to overcome the digital divide.

The main goal of the doctoral program is to form analysts holding deep up-to-date knowledge in various fields, among which political and institutional theory, law and political economy, able to plan and manage collaborative and integrated processes at the international level. This profile can be placed as an executive/ official in public organisations at regional, national and enterprises, financial situations, and specialised research institutions.

• 15 students: no tuition fees + free access to IMT Canteen + a laptop computer assigned for all the PhD period.
• 8 students: full grants (annual grant amounts +/- 10,560 Euros gross)
• 8 students: free accomodation

• The First Book on European Lobbying Methodology

• Masterclass EU Lobbying

• Masterclass EU Communication and Media

N.B. If you want to include an activity in the next newsletter kindly send an e-mail to doris.mangion@um.edu.mt

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