European Movement events in Sussex, 2011

Events
Sussex branch AGM held on Saturday 3 December see more below
Sussex branch stall at the Jubilee Library from 19 November every 3rd Saturday of the month	Brainstorm at The Cricketers click for more

On this page:

Summer afternoon croquet
The Annual Seminar 17 July
Topical lunches
Events in neighbouring areas
More links
Articles from the news archive

Website resource for schools
Citizens of Europe
click to see more about it

Sussex branch Annual General Meeting
held on
Saturday 3 December 2011 at 11 am
at St Pancras Catholic Church Hall, Irelands Lane, Lewes,
East Sussex BN7 1QX

A G E N D A

1.	Minutes of the 2010 AGM (link below)
2.	Chairman’s report (link below)
3.	Jubilee Library report – Martin Toomey
4.	Cricketers’ discussion session report – Gisela Hendriks
5.	Treasurer’s report
6.	Election of officers and committee for 2010-11 The following members of the Committee were willing to stand again: Sarah Leigh (Chairman), Martin Toomey (Secretary), Chris Jones (Treasurer) Members – Kate Evans, Illa Hayward, Oliver Hayward, Gisela Hendriks, Martin Vasey
7.	Adoption of assessor for the accounts
8.	Plans for the next year – a Europe Day celebration?
9.	Any other business

After the AGM
Citizens of Europe (‘Europe in School’) – progress report by Stephen Quigley
François Duchêne travel bursary holders' report
– the Sussex European Institute / Sussex European Movement joint programme.

1 pm – or as close to that as possible – lunch!

Read the Chairman's Report for 2011 (pdf)

Saturday 29 January 2011
Last year's AGM originally planned for Saturday 4 December 2010 had to be postponed after heavy local snowfall.

Read the Chairman's Report for 2010 (pdf)
Read the January 2011 AGM Minutes (pdf)

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 our attention is now being turned to key topics in European affairs.

next year
Wednesday 9 May 2012
We plan to have just one major event next year, a day-long conference on Europe Day, the plan being to focus on the cultural background to our (the British people’s) attitude to Europe. One of our recent discussions at The Cricketers engaged us so much we thought we should expand it into a full day and call it “Why are we celebrating Europe Day?”
We would have at least one outside speaker. We’d like to hear your views.

We have tentatively booked the Garden Suite at Deans Place, Alfriston, for that day.
The plan for lunch is that people either book lunch in the restaurant there or buy something to eat at the bar, just as they like. We will just pay for the room so the cost of attendance will be minimal
– a few pounds depending on how many people we are budgeting for.

earlier this year
Monday 18 April 2011
a lunch with guest Jonathan Scheele, Head of Representation at the EC London office,
who talked about
The European Commission and the UK
- the effects of Lisbon and the economic crisis.

From our archive you can see notes on what was said at lunch and dinner events that previously focussed on the country holding the Presidency of the EU Council:
United Kingdom - Sir Stephen Wall
Austria - Eveline Jamek, attaché for EU Affairs at the Austrian Embassy
Finland - Alexander Stubb, Finnish MEP
Germany - Michael Siebert, deputy head of the Political Section at the German Embassy
Portugal - Israel Saraiva, First Secretary at the Portuguese Embassy
Slovenia - Francis King, formerly head of the British Council in Ljubljana
France - Diégo Colas, Conseiller politique - Ambassade de France à Londres
Czech Republic - Zdeněk Kavan, Lecturer in Development Studies & International Relations
Sweden - Per Augustsson, Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy

Summer afternoon croquet

A pleasantly sunny autumn afternoon in late August brought together some branch members in fiercely competitive mode, one team using one set of rules and the second another set. Croquet is clearly a game well beyond the skills of “Brussels” to impose standardisation on this supremely British sport.

Deans Place Hotel in Alfriston provided not only the sporty croquet pitch and croquet equipment, but indulgent pyramids of scones and dishes of jam and cream to make up a traditional afternoon tea.

Photos from Illa Hayward

Annual seminar
Sunday 17 July

The annual seminar this year was again held at Wiston House,
the home of the Wilton Park International Conference Centre.

Europe, her southern neighbours, and Turkey

The 'Arab Spring' throughout much of the North Africa and the Middle East has captivated the world. How will the European Union (EU) react to developments in its Southern Neighbours? Can the EU offer its neighbours more aid and investment, and improved trade access? How are the revolutions for greater democracy likely to unfold, in particular in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen? What impact will they have for the EU in terms of immigration and energy security? Does Turkey, in light of its summer 2011 election, offer a model of democracy in Muslim countries?

The main sessions:

Dr Claire Spencer, Head, Middle East Programme,
Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London
Domestic Developments in North Africa and the Middle East

Ahmed Naguib, member of the Egyptian Revolutionary Leadership
The Revolution in Egypt

Roger Moore, recently member, European External Action Service, Brussels
The EU's evolving policy towards Africa

Dr Sameh Aboul-Enein, Academic specialising in Security Issues, London Security and Disarmament in North Africa and the Middle East
and Implications for the EU
.
His Excellency Ahmet Ünal Çeviköz, Ambassador, Turkish Embassy, London
Turkey after the Election:
a Model for Countries in North Africa and the Middle East ?
________________________

Click here to see a summary report of issues discussed at the seminar