[ENLIGHTEN AGORA © Fora]
Crises in the European Union: An ENLIGHTEN-TransCrisis policy debate
Opening Panel
Defining and Distinguishing Crises: Introducing ENLIGHTEN & TransCrisis
Speakers:
Martin LODGE (TransCrisis – Lead Coordinator, LSE)
Leonard SEABROOKE (ENLIGHTEN – Lead Coordinator, CBS)
Opening Keynotes |Defining and Distinguishing Crises: A Policy Perspective
Chair: Martin LODGE (TransCrisis – Lead Coordinator, LSE)
Speakers:
- Laszlo ANDOR (ULB-IEE, Hertie School of Governance)
- Maria Joao RODRIGUES (S&D MEP, FEPS President, ENLIGHTEN IAB)
Roundtable 1 – EU institutions and Crisis Management
Crisis has been a central feature of EU policy-making over the past decade, whether in terms of the emergence of the EU as ‘crisis manager’ in terms of ‘civil defence’ activities or the rise of ‘crisis’ as a central theme for the development of policy and the use of diverse modes of governing (such as the European Semester). This roundtable will present results about the rise of crisis capacities among EU institutions and the exercise of political leadership, highlighting the challenges of developing effective and legitimate means to manage crises.
Central discussion points:
- what are the institutional capacities for crisis management in the EU?
- how has political leadership been exercised during times of crisis?
- how do EU institutions relate to member states and non-state actors?
Roundtable 2- Policy Backsliding
One of the central themes in contemporary debates about EU policy-making has been the notion of policy ‘backsliding’. What does evidence of backsliding at the EU and member state level mean for the EU and its legitimacy? Are these developments associated with the economic and financial crisis? In developing these debates, this roundtable focuses on potential policy ‘dismantling’ at the EU level, defined here in terms of the removal of certain policy priorities and objectives, especially relating to social and environmental policy regimes. The roundtable also considers the evidence of backsliding on policy and constitutional commitments at the member state level and to what extent such developments pose a crisis for the EU.
Central discussion points:
- what evidence exists for policy dismantling and backsliding?
- how critical are ‘backsliding’ and ‘dismantling’ for the legitimacy of the European Union?
- what resources exists to enhance member state solidarity during times of crisis?
Roundtable 3: Policy Blind-Spots: the intended and unintended consequences of crisis management
What are the consequences of the rise of ‘crisis’ in EU policy-making? In this roundtable, the discussion focuses on the potential unintended consequences of recent policy changes, whether this relates to questions of side-effects, polylemmas or the emergence of new ‘blind-spots’ towards particular types of crisis. The roundtable will discuss ways to mitigate the emergence of unintended consequences and implications for the ways in which the EU and its member states address crisis management.
Central discussion points:
- what are the intended policy objectives of emerging crisis management regimes?
- what unintended consequences are likely to emerge?
- How can blind-spots and other unintended consequences be effectively mitigated?
ENLIGHTEN Presentation