Brussels elite to discuss priorities for Barroso Commission

At a conference entitled ‘What “Big Idea” for the Barroso
Commission?’, senior EU policy representatives will debate the most
burning issues facing the new Commission over the coming five
years.

In co-operation with Friends of Europe, EURACTIV is organising a
high level event, bringing together some fifty
senior representatives from the Commission, industry,
Parliament, think tanks, NGOs and the media. 

Under the heading ‘What “big idea” for
the Barroso Commission’, the conference on 15 October 2004
will facilitate an in-depth discussion of the priorities for the
next Commission during its five-year term. The title of the event
refers to previous ‘big ideas’ driving forward European
integration, such as the common market, monetary union and
enlargement. The aim is to discuss what should be the next big
project and how it should be approached.

In particular, the discussion will centre around five big
themes: relaunching the Lisbon strategy; repairing the rifts in the
Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); reviving the debate
on the EU’s energy and environment policies; and Europe’s
‘collective security’. The future of the EU budget will also be
addressed.

The conference will present the results of a recent online
survey conducted by EURACTIV, outlining the achievements of the
outgoing Prodi Commission and the expectations addressed to
Barroso’s team.

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