Third Annual Research Symposium - Call for Papers
The New Politics of EU Integration: The View from Central and Eastern Europe
National School of Political Studies and Public Administration
Center for European Studies
Bucharest, Romania
Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd May 2010
With the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon a period of institutional and political reform within the European Union (EU) has come full circle. Lasting almost eight years, the reform process, beginning with the Convention on the Future of Europe (2001) and ending with the Treaty of Lisbon (2009) was intended to create a functioning institutional framework for the EU following the historic 2004/2007 enlargements and allow for future expansion. The subsequent adjustments made to the Union´s decision-making mechanisms, inter-institutional interactions and policy agendas has led the EU into unchartered terrains where its functionality and legitimacy will be ultimately put to the test. Building on five full years of membership and in light of the high profile role played by some Central and East European (CEE) member states (i.e. Czech Republic and Poland) in the negotiations and ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, the relevance of these reforms for CEE
cannot be underestimated, whether from a domestic or EU-wide perspective. Several topical issues can be raised for discussion; for example: What role/s will be played by CEE member states in the new institutional framework? Will CEE member states be capable of taking advantage of the new rules to further their national interest? Is the move toward a majoritarian view of democracy inside the EU detrimental to the CEE member states? Will the citizens of the CEE member states be satisfied with the workings of the Union or with the quality of national representation in the EU´s political structure and policy process?
The Assessing Accession collaborative research network (CRN) maintains a research agenda which focuses on furthering the understanding of the relationship of the EU´s CEE member states´ to European governance. The above issues fit clearly within this research agenda and as such the network invites scholars, experts and policy makers to make a projection on how post-Lisbon EU politics will be configured and what role CEE member states will play. This new perspective will be informed by previous Assessing Accession member contributions on the impact of CEE states on the EU, and vice versa, over the past five years. This will allow the 2010 research symposium to initiate a substantive research agenda focusing on the place of CEE in a post-Lisbon Europe . It is intended that this will then be developed across future Assessing Accession events (including a "State of the Art" workshop) and inform a major research project bid to be coordinated by
the University of Glasgow in conjunction with the Assessing Accession network and submitted to a major funder by the end of 2010/early 2011.
Following the format of previous Assessing Accession Annual Research Symposia (Glasgow 2008, Gy"or 2009) this symposium will have two research streams; one focusing on policy and one focusing on institutions. These research themes will inform a series of panel sessions, key note addresses and workshops.
In the policy stream papers will ideally address, but are not limited to, the following issues:
· The position of CEE states towards key policies areas which impact on the region (e.g. neighbourhood policy, energy policy, minority and human rights policy etc.)
· EU policy areas successfully influenced by CEE States
· Eastern bloc tactics - is there an active CEE bloc in various policy areas and/or is this likely to develop in a post-Lisbon context?
In the institutional stream papers will ideally address, but are not limited to, the following issues:
· Governmental, regional/local and non-governmental representation in the EU political and policy process.
· Patterns, models and instruments in the organization of representation.
· CEE performance measurements and indicators of influence within key EU institutions.
· National overview mechanisms of CEE representation within the post-Lisbon EU.
The Assessing Accession CRN welcomes scholarly, empirically sound contributions but also practitioner accounts on the above mentioned topics. Comparative analyses are particularly welcomed. All papers will be made available online as joint Assessing Accession/CRCEES working papers and selected papers will be put forward for publication in an edited volume.
Abstracts should be no more than 250-300 words and should be submitted by email to e.butler@lbss. gla.ac.uk using the pro-forma document available for download from the Assessing Accession website (http://assessingacc ession.eu/ workshop2010. aspx). Abstracts can be submitted in English or French. Papers written in French will also be accepted, however, authors should be aware the working language of the symposium and all official publications will be English. The deadline for abstracts will be 30th January 2010. Acceptance of paper proposals will be communicated to the author by 20th February 2010. The conference will be open to non-paper givers. Some limited funding for travel bursaries is available for paper givers. Participants should be aware that this will not cover full costs of travel and accommodation and are encouraged to seek additional sources of funding.
For further information about the Assessing Accession Network and the 2010 Research Symposium to be held in Bucharest please visit the Assessing Accession website at: http://assessingacc ession.eu.
Assessing Accession is jointly supported by UACES (through its `Collaborative Research Networks´ initiative), BASEES (through its `Study Groups´ initiative) and CRCEES. Special support for the 2010 Research Symposium is provided by the event host, the Center for European Studies at the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, Romania.
Organisers on behalf of Assessing Accession - Central and Eastern Europe in the EU
· Dr. Eamonn Butler - University of Glasgow
· Dr. Claudiu Craciun - National School of Political Studies and Administration
A PDF version of this call for papers can be found at: http://assessingaccession.eu/Documents/AA%20CfP%202010.pdf
Please quote 10 Academic Resources Daily in your application to this opportunity!
