Topical lunches

It has been a long tradition that the branch has organised a lunch or dinner twice a year, with an expert speaker to review the work taken on by the country holding the current Presidency of the European Council.  With the Lisbon Treaty finally endorsed there is now a permanent President of the European Council, and this year our attention will be turned to key topics in European affairs.

Date for your diary ...

Saturday 24 April, 12.30 for 1 pm at the Preston Park Hotel, London Road, Brighton BN1 6UU Catherine Bearder, MEP Life as a new Member of the European Parliament Catherine was elected MEP in June 2009, representing the Liberal Democrats. She was Director of Campaigns for Britain in Europe in our South-East region, working to highlight the great economic benefits of EU membership. She has been organiser of the LibDem regional party conference for the past three years and is vice-chair of the LibDem European Group. She has campaigned on social justice and rural issues, with particular interest in tackling homelessness and social exclusion. She also emphasises the need to tackle climate change – she is vice-president of the Green Liberal Democrats and looks forward to championing the environment in the European Parliament. You can download a registration form and choose from the menu (PDF)

Presidency lunches
Looking back over last year .....

Per Augustsson, Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy, joined us in October. Click here for a summary report on the event

	In March we were joined by Zdeněk Kavan, a Lecturer in Development Studies and International Relations at the University of Sussex, to take a look at the role of the Czech Republic. Click here to see a summary of his talk and the lively round of questions and answers that followed.

European events in neighbouring areas

This panel will show events in Kent, London and Surrey which might be interesting for members from Sussex.  We also list separately events planned by the Eastbourne branch.

Thursday 25 March, 5.30 pm to 7 pm
at the London Metropolitan University, 31 Jewry Street, London EC3 2EY



Financial Regulation: Britain's next European challenge?

Britain, and more specifically the City of London, are leading players in the global financial industry.
The global crisis of this industry has led to a number of regulatory initiatives by national and international actors, including the European Union, which will inevitably affect the way the City goes about its business. A working party from the Federal Trust, headed by Sir Brian Unwin, formerly President of the European Investment Bank, and Graham Bishop, the leading technical analyst of European financial affairs, has been examining these initiatives, particularly those of the European Union. The resulting report is to be launched at this event by the authors and invited commentators.

Wednesday 31 March, 2 pm to 5.30 pm
at the London Metropolitan University, 31 Jewry Street, London EC3 2EY



What is the future for political parties in Europe?

Political parties are in a crisis of membership in many European countries, just at a time when European political parties are trying to establish themselves. What is the future for political parties in Europe?
Can European political parties seize the chance to define a new kind of party that is better suited to contemporary forms of political engagement which often take place outside 'formal' political institutions, and what new means of participation can they define? What are the possibilities opened up by the Lisbon Treaty now that it is in force?

Speakers Andrew Duff (MEP), John Palmer (European Policy Centre), Henning Meyer (Global Policy Institute), and the Federal Trust's Director Brendan Donnelly will attempt to provide some answers.

This conference is part of the European Alternatives Future of Representation series, in partnership with the Federal Trust and supported by the European Parliament.

Friday 9 April 2010, 7 for 7.30 pm

Surrey branch annual dinner at The Ship Hotel, Monument Green, Weybridge  KT13 8BQ click here for a map - you can zoom in when it displays

The guest speaker will be John Palmer
John Palmer is a member of the governing board and former political director of the European Policy Centre. For more than 20 years he was the European editor of The Guardian.
He is the author of three books on European affairs.
His chosen topic is
Is there a future for an ever closer European Union?

Non-member friends are welcome, but there are limited places.
Send in your booking  by 26th March at the latest.
Download more information, including menu choices, booking form and map (PDF)

Annual General Meeting

The last Sussex branch AGM was held on 7 December 2009 You can download and print  (PDF) the Agenda Chairman's report for 2008-09