European Common Foreign and Security Policy – The German Point of View

In 2007 the EU Regional Office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation will continue its `Böll Lunch Lectures` with a series on `European Common Foreign and Security as seen from various European Capitals`.  Since the negative referendums in France and the Netherlands on the European Constitution, the future of CFSP is vague.  Will the European Union revive the concepts of an EU Foreign minister and a European External Action Service (EEAS) as foreseen in the Constitution and, if not, what chances are there for a serious CFSP as long as decisions can be vetoed by any of the now 27 Member States? The first debate will focus on the German point of view and the programme of the German EU presidincy.  How exactly does the German presidency intend `to improve coherence between CFSP` (Presidency Programme)? Will it build on the ideas launched at the `Chocolate Summit` of April 2003?  Will Germany succeed in advancing CFSP or will it contribute to its `De-Europeanisation`?

Speaker: D Dr. habil. Markus Kaim, Research Unit European and Atlantic Security,  German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin

Discussants: Bruno Angelet, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgium, Directorate `Common Foreign and Security Policy, Defense and Disarmament` Counsellor, ESDP and NATO-Desk and
Raphaël Mathieu, Researcher, Royal Defence  College, Brussels

Chair: ClaudeWeinber, Director EU Regional Office Heinrich Böll Foundation