Events

on Tuesday 8 November 2011, 14.00-15.30 (registration from 13.45)

at Max Kohnstamm Room, Résidence Palace, 4th floor, 155 Rue de la Loi, 1040 Brussels

The European Policy Centre is delighted to invite you to an EU for Asia Brussels Briefing, on The evolving regional economic architecture in the Asia-Pacific: implications for the European Union, on Tuesday 8 November.

The challenges to the Asia-Pacific’s economic architecture and regional integration are becoming increasingly important. Asia’s growth is changing the structure of the world economy, shifting global economic power, and ultimately, strategic weight, towards Asia and China and India in particular. Economic and political changes in Asia and the Pacific are challenging the primacy of some aspects of American power. The scale of Asia’s impact on the global economy requires urgent efforts at regional level to ensure Asia delivers on its global responsibilities, especially in the financial and macro-economic sectors - including trade policy – as well as in the area of climate change. However, this raises the bigger question as to how the rest of the world can adjust its regional economic structures in response to this emerging regional power. More specifically, what will be the implications for the European Union?

A panel of distinguished speakers will discuss these and other questions, including Vangelis Vitalis, Ambassador of New Zealand Embassy & Mission to the European Union and Kingdom of Belgium, Arif Havas Oegroseno, Ambassador of Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the European Union, and Marjut Hannonen, Member of Cabinet of European Commissioner for Trade, Karel De Gucht. A question and answer session will follow, chaired by Josef Janning, EPC Director of Studies.

We very much hope that you will attend. Please confirm your participation by replying to n.news@epc.eu

European Policy Centre

Tel: 02 231 03 40

Fax:02 231 07 04 - 02 230 74 72

www.epc.eu

Speakers:

1. Hironori Hamanaka, Professor, Keio University, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies.

2. Paolo Caridi, Policy Officer, from DG Climate Action, European Commission.

The European Policy Centre is delighted to invite you to an EU for Asia Brussels Briefing on Smart sanctions – A key instrument for EU foreign policy towards Asia?, on 23 June.

With the new European External Action Service striving to define a strong approach towards states such as Myanmar, North Korea, and Iran, economic sanctions have become an increasingly important tool in the EU’s foreign policy arsenal. Recently, the concept of “smart” (or targeted) sanctions has been gaining ground. In theory, smart sanctions single out the political elite in obstinate regimes through financial sanctions, travel restrictions and specific import/export bans, while protecting vulnerable social groups and the general population. Yet, on a practical level their effectiveness is often contested.

The Asia Europe Roundtable series (AER) on Conflict Management has covered the whole conflict cycle – from conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peace-keeping and peace-making, to post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation. The series of roundtable with the presentations and debates come to the conclusion that there is a need to promote a rule-based and inclusive framework to adequately address the tensions and conflicts arising from minority group differences. There is also consensus that there is value in developing and deepening Asia-Europe partnership to address these challenges to peace and security.

Complex governance involves much more than only first Track meetings of officials and other decision makers. The conference on ‘Connection Civil Society’ acknowledges the multi-layered aspects of global governance. The conference will contribute to the discussions at the ASEM 8 Summit.

On a joint invitation from the European Commission and the Federal Government of Germany the CPR will visit Brussels and Berlin from 19 to 23 April.In addition to meeting their official EU counterparts during their visit to Brussels from April 19-21, Committee Permanent Representatives also want to have more informal discussions with experts to discuss EU integration – achievements and deficits – and look at other aspects of the development of the Union

At the EU Stakeholder meeting, European Union stakeholder will meet to discuss the citizens' perception of Europe in Asia. This includes the role of the media in shaping and modifying this perception, and the consequences of the misunderstandings and misconceptions in civil society which hinderes the promoting of the European Union in Asia.

As China and the EU seek to forge closer ties, attention is focused not only on ways of improving bilateral ties but also stepping up joint cooperation in tackling global challenges, including Iran and North Korea. The EU is also seeking to work with China as it expands its aid and investment activities in other parts of Asia and Africa. Fostering closer EU-China ties, however, requires better understanding of China's foreign policy priorities and concerns.