Conference reports
Luise Hemmer Pihl
Luise Hemmer Pihl, the Scandinavian Editor of EUobserver.com, reports on two conferences: one on the emergence of "regional groupings", the other on alternatives to centralisation in Europe. 10.1108/09555340310483884
Regional groupings and their impact on international relations
A round table on this subject took place on 6-9 December 2002, in Vienna,hosted by the Jamahir Society for Culture and Philosophy. A dozen participants,most of them from Europe and the Mediterranean region, contributed to an attempt at understanding the political changes that are taking place in Europe and Africa.
In the nature of things, the speakers tackled the subject from a number of different points of departure. One main theme was, however, the significance of 11 September and the future of the Pax Americana, while a group of other contributions dealt with the European Union.
On the latter theme, opinions varied widely, ranging from Belgian Professor Edgar André, who considered the EU in a Messianic light, to Sir Richard Body from the UK, who tersely remarked that supranational organisations fail unless either all the states are culturally and linguistically homogeneous or each is of the same strength as the others, so that despite cultural differences none is predominant.
The contributions will be published in book form. More information on the Jamahir Society is available at: www.jamahir.org/aboutus.html
European movements to demand fair referenda and search for alternatives
The annual general meeting (AGM) of the European Movement of EU-critical Movements (TEAM 2003), met 28-30 March 2003, in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Representatives from 14 European countries welcomed eight new members.
The AGM elected a new coordinator, Sharon Ellul Bonici, from Malta, who takes over from Hans Lindqvist from Sweden, and a new board: Jean-Paul Bled (France),John Boyd (UK), Gorazd Drevensek (Slovenia), Helle Hagenau (Norway), Hans Lindqvist (Sweden) and Uno Silberg (Estonia).
In 2003 TEAM will work for fair referendums with adequate information in the accession countries and explore alternatives to the undemocratic and centralized tendencies in the EU.
A new constitution was adopted and can be found on the TEAM Web site: www.teameurope.info/about/constitution-intro.htm
