Opening lecture of the IES Autumn Lecture Series 2014: «The Future of European Geostrategy»
Opening Lecture: The State of European Foreign Policy
with Robert Cooper, Visiting Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science (Friday 10 October 2014, 18:00-20:00)
Location: Karel Van Miert Building, Conference Rooms Rome & Lisbon, Pleinlaan 5, 1050 Brussels
Organisation: Institute for European Studies-VUB and Egmont Institute

Europe is surrounded by an arch of instability. Russia’s aggression in the East and the spread of radicalism, fundamentalism and instability in the Sahel, North Africa and the Middle East threaten Europe’s security and interests. The European Union’s diplomatic, economic and low-key crisis management responses to these situations has been denounced in some quarters, even if some of the member states – such as France in the Sahel – have shown resolve and purpose. How can the EU better respond to its neighbourhood and its global responsibilities?

With Sir Robert Cooper, Visiting Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science

Robert Cooper is presently a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. During a long and distinguished career in the UK Foreign Office, Cooper served as Head of the Policy Planning Staff and as the UK’s Special Representative in Afghanistan. In 2002 he began his career with the European Union, first as Director-General for External and Politico-military Affairs at the Council of the EU, and as a Counsellor with the European External Action Service. He is also the author of The Breaking of Nations: Order and Chaos in the Twenty-First Century (Atlantic Press, 2003).

This lecture is the first lecture of the IES Autumn Lecture Series 2014: « The Future of European Geostrategy » jointly organised by the Institute for European Studies-VUB and the Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations. Read more about the lecture series!

PAST EVENTS

• R.I.P. CSDP? European Defence after the Crimea (1 Jul 2014)
• The Wales Summit and the Future of NATO (30 Jun 2014)
• Europe, Japan and Asian Security (8 Apr 2014)
• The European Parliament as an International Actor (7 Apr 2014)
• EU Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation in the DRC (11 Mar 2014)
• The EDTIB: The Role of State, Firm and Institutional Interests (25 Feb 2014)
• Future Airpower: Benelux Air Cooperation in a European Context (13 Feb 2014)