Winter Semester 2018/2019

On 23 June 2016, the EU-Referendum in the United Kingdom turned out in favour of leaving the European Union. The unprecedented outcome has led the President of the EU-Commission Juncker to announce a “reflection process” on the future of Europe.

The EU27 Heads of State or Government adopted in the following months two important Declarations on the way forward: the Bratislava Declaration in September 2016 and the Rome Declaration in March 2017. Both Declarations clearly reflect the remaining EU Member States’ commitment to the European project and their willingness to work together in building a strengthened European Union.

In his 2017 State of the European Union Address, Juncker proposed a “Roadmap for a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union”.He saw a “window of opportunity” but also warned about rushing to conclusions: “We started to fix the European roof. But today and tomorrow we must patiently, floor by floor, moment by moment, inspiration by inspiration, continue to add new floors to the European House. We must complete the European House now that the sun is shining and whilst it still is. [...] We now have a window of opportunity but it will not stay open forever. [...] Let us make the most of the momentum, catch the wind in our sails.”

The President of the European Council Donald Tusk took up this Roadmap and issued a Leaders’ Agenda in October 2017, containing an overview of the main issues he planned to put on the Agenda of the European Council until June 2019. Depending on the substance, these issues were discussed in formal European Council meetings, or in an informal format with the EU27.

The list of issues on the Leaders’ Agenda was diverse: migration, Digital Europe, social issues, culture and education, defence, institutional issues like the composition of the European Parliament, the Single Market, trade, climate, energy, the Economic and Monetary Union, and internal security.

At the Sibiu Summit in Romania, held in May 2019 – shortly before elections to the European Parliament – the results were to be presented and the EU Leaders were expected to set new priorities and strategies for the European Union with its then-27 Member States.

The Berlin Meeting of the EU27 on 22-23 January 2019 at FU Berlin took up some of these issues, debated them and finally adopted the Berlin Declaration. The participants of this Model EU Conference came from different faculties and home countries.

The conference was held in cooperation with the United Nations and European Union Documentation Center at FU Berlin.

For more information please contact
Dr. Peggy Wittke
EMail: peg@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Tel.: (030) 838 547 05

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