This year’s Europe Day seminarMichael Rider chairs questions following Nathaniel Copsey’s presentation Programme Thursday 9 May 2013 Deans Place Hotel, AlfristonThe next five years – Europe versus the UK ? | Since our Europe Day Seminar 2012 in Alfriston the volatility of EU/UK relations continues apace, oscillating between truculent abrasiveness and conciliatory alliance building. The political – if not economic – success of the reduced EU budget needed a show of engaged leadership and purposeful negotiation, so some positives in the UK stance. An in-out referendum is now pencilled in, triggering at least the start of serious debate – timely too for the EP elections in 2014. The major parties are still divided, and the popular media remain fixated on the one-man UKIP message, though there is evidence the electorate is getting bored with ‘Europe’. Elsewhere in spite of gruelling social damage there are at last greenish shoots in the €urozone. And as so often in the past the geopolitical logic of events still requires, but does not always get, coherence and unity of purpose in the Union’s responses.The main themes for the day were: Where do the UK’s real interests lie? What reforms for ‘Brussels’? How do we change the hostile perceptions? Rethinking European Integration Dr Nathaniel Copsey Co-Director, Centre for Europe, University of Aston; MA College of Europe; D.Phil Sussex European Institute The UK`s real interest – inside or outside the EU? Sir Stephen Wall Vice Chair Business for New Europe; Ambassador and UK Permanent Representative to EU 1995 – 2000; EU Adviser to the Prime Minister 2000-2004 How to reach the man in the street Stephen Quigley Team leader – Citizens of Europe and EU4real ; Training consultant – EU for local government; Conference Director for Chatham House – Celebrating EU 50 | | 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 | |