2008 Press Releases
29.09.2008
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin and Viscount Etienne Davignon, Belgian Minister of State and former Vice-President of the European Commission will be among the guest speakers at a European Symposium taking place at UCC on Wednesday, October 8th 2008.
Titled "Europe: International Power", the symposium will reflect on Europe's international standing. It will also include consideration of the impact of the Lisbon Treaty No vote in Ireland on the future of the EU as an international power.
The first panel, chaired by Alan Dukes, President of the Alliance Française, Dublin, will focus on "Europe and Globalisation". Contributors include Laurent Cohen-Tanugi, Chair of the French 'Europe and Globalisation' mission and Thierry Chopin, Research Director at the Robert Schuman Foundation.
The second panel, chaired by Francis Jacobs, Head of the European Parliament Information Office in Ireland, will discuss "What borders for the European Union? The issues of Enlargement and of the Mediterranean Union". Speakers include Dr Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Former President of the Republic of Latvia and Polish MEP Andrzej Wielowieyski.
Key Guest Speaker at the third panel will be Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs. Paul Gillespie, Foreign Policy Editor, Irish Times will chair the panel discussion with the theme "The Lisbon Treaty: Can the European Union be an International Power without Restructured Institutions?" The panel will also include Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Integration, Dr Andrew Cottey, of UCC's Department of Government.
"Europe's Cultural Influence in the World" is the title of the fourth session which will be chaired by Jean-Michel Djian, Journalist and Professor at University Paris VIII. Among the contributors to this session will be Odile Quintin, Director General for Education and Culture at the European Commission and Martin Territt, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland.
The conference, under the High Patronage of Hans-Gert PÖTTERING, President of the European Parliament, is organized by the Alliance Française de Cork with support from UCC's Department of Government. The symposium is organized in the framework of the French Presidency of the European Union and the European Cultural Season.
The event takes place in UCC's Aula Maxima, October 8th 2008, 8.30am-5.30pm. It is open to the public and admission is free.
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CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
European Symposium “Europe: International Power”
08.30-09.00 am
Welcome Address by Dr. Michael MURPHY, President of University College Cork
Jean-Pierre de LAUNOIT, President of the Fondation Alliance Française
Nora Callanan, President of the Alliance Française de Cork
09.00-10.30 am
First Panel ‘Europe and Globalisation’
Laurent COHEN-TANUGI, Chair of the French ‘Europe and Globalisation’ mission
Thierry CHOPIN, Research Director at the Robert Schuman Foundation
Philippe HERZOG, Chairman of the Association ‘Confrontations Europe’
Elvire FABRY, Head of the Europe and International Department at the Foundation for Political Innovation
Chaired by Alan DUKES, President of the Alliance Française Dublin
10.30-10.45 am Coffee break
10.45 am-12.15 pm
Second Panel ‘What borders for the European Union? The issues of Enlargement
and of the Mediterranean Union’
Dr. Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA, Former President of Republic of Latvia,
Member of the Working Group on the Future of the European Union
Andrzej WIELOWIEYSKI, Polish MEP
Mohammed ABBOU, Member of the Algerian Constitutional Council, Former Minister of Culture
Chaired by Francis JACOBS, Head of the European Parliament Information Office in Ireland
12.15-13.30 pm Lunch
13.30-14.30 pm
Third Panel ‘The Lisbon Treaty: Can the European Union be an International Power without
Restructured Institutions?’
Key Guest Speaker: Micheál MARTIN, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Dr. Andrew COTTEY, Senior Lecturer and Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Integration
in the Department of Government, University College Cork
Chaired by Paul GILLESPIE, Foreign Policy Editor, The Irish Times
14.30-15.30 pm
Address by Viscount Etienne DAVIGNON,
Guest of Honour of this European Symposium ‘Europe: International Power’
Minister of State, former Vice-President of the European Commission
15.30-15.45 pm Coffee break
15.45-17.15 pm
Fourth Panel ‘Europe’s Cultural Influence in the World’
Renaud DONNEDIEU DE VABRES, Ambassador of the European Cultural Season,
Former Minister of Culture and Communication
Odile QUINTIN, Director General for Education and Culture at the European Commission
Martin TERRITT, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland
Chaired by Jean-Michel DJIAN, Journalist & Professor at University Paris VIII
17.15-17.30 pm
Conclusions and perspectives by Hélène DUQUIN
Pictured at the opening of the Symposium today (October 8th 2008) were: Francis Brendan Jacobs, Head of Information Office of the European Parliament in Ireland, Dr Michael Murphy, President, UCC, Lord Mayor Cllr. Brian Birmingham, Dr Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of the Republic of Latvia, Renaud Donnedieu De Vabres, Ambassador of the European Cultural Season and Professor Grace Neville, Vice President for Teaching and Learning, UCC.