Event report

For more than four decades, ambassador João Vale de Almeida has been at the centre of global politics. As an EU Ambassador, and earlier as Director-General and Head of Cabinet for the Commission President, he took part in the conversations that helped shape Europe’s place in the world. His new book, ‘The Divorce of Nations: A Diplomat’s Inside View as the Global Order Collapses’, reflects on his experiences, and on 1 October he was invited to the Council to share some of his insights.

Europe’s position as a global leader in innovation is at a crossroads. With emerging technologies, shifting geopolitics and regulatory hurdles, how can Europe secure its industrial future? The Council Library and Springer Nature invited four leading experts from academia, industry and policy to discuss the critical steps needed to ensure Europe remains competitive.

While crises are often analysed for their political consequences, they have also left a quieter yet equally significant mark on the EU's administrative landscape. These developments are examined in the book 'The Changing Topography of EU Administration: Organisations, Actors, and Policy Processes', published last year. The Council Library invited the book's editor, together with three of its authors, to share their insights.

How can the EU move beyond deterrence to actively counter Russian influence? At a recent Council Library event,  European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) analysts Lizza Bomassi and Giuseppe Spatafora shared insights from their latest Chaillot Paper, ‘Unpowering Russia’.

The Council Library has been refurbished, with improved spaces and a new shelving system to make browsing easier. We recently celebrated with an Open Day. Catch up on the highlights and see what’s new….

How did EU countries forge diplomatic ties? An exhibition at the Council traces the complex, often overlooked history how diplomatic relations were established between EU countries. 

On 28 April, the Council Library hosted a lunchtime conversation with policy makers and academic experts exploring pressing questions about the evolving role of the Council presidency. The event featured contributors to the recent publication, ‘EU Council Presidencies in Times of Crisis’ (Palgrave, 2024).

Europe is at a turning point in shaping its approach to security and defence, with growing challenges prompting urgent reflection and action. The Council Library invited POLITICO Europe’s Research & Analysis Division to discuss the key choices shaping Europe’s security future.

Dutch journalist and academic Jan Werts has had a front-row seat to the European Council’s evolution since its inception. For 50 years he has followed its progress, reporting from almost every summit. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the first official meeting of the European Council in March 1975, the Council Library invited Jan to share his reflections on how it has changed over the years.

The Council Library invited Johannes Pollak and Paul Schmidt, editors of the book ‘Enlargement and the future of Europe: views from the capitals’, and experts in European politics, to give an overview of their findings.

The Council Library and Springer Nature co-organised a panel discussion on 10 October on the very topical subject of AI generative tools. The panel of experts provided a lively debate and insights into the risks and benefits of these highly sophisticated tools, such as ChatGPT (OpenAI).

The authors of the Yearbook of European Security 2023, Jan Joel Andersson and Clara Sophie Cramer, provided a critical review of the events that dramatically changed the security landscape in Europe last year.

International Archives Day was celebrated last week, on 9 June. This year, the Archives of the Council of the European Union also commemorated the 40th anniversary of the regulation adopted on 1 February 1983 ensuring public access to the Archives of the European Economic Community (EEC). Read on to find out more…

Europe Day is celebrated every year on 9 May. The date marks the anniversary of the historic Schuman Declaration, which set Europe on the path to today's European Union. To mark the occasion, the Council Library has compiled a Library Guide of resources you can browse through. Happy Europe Day to all!

Every year the Council Library marks World Book Day with something special. This year Council trainees chose to focus our attention on a theme relevant to all aspects of life - courage. For 23 April this year they have compiled a reading list on this theme from all 27 EU Member States and have also made a short video.

This year’s International Women's Day campaign theme in many parts of the world is centred around the theme of embrace equity. Its goal is to encourage discussion on why equal opportunities are not enough. As such, the Council Library has compiled a library guid of resources on gender equity to help readers gain a deeper understanding of that subject.

On 30 June, the Council Library hosted the launch of the book Growth for good: reshaping capitalism to save humanity from climate catastrophe in the presence of the author, Alessio Terzi, and ECOFIN Director-General Thomas Westphal.

For World Book Day 2022, the Council Library has decided to showcase Ukrainian literature. Watch Council trainees reading extracts from Ukrainian literary gems, and browse for more of their selections in a specially created Library Guide on Ukrainian literature.

On 2 December, the Council Library invited Oxford Analytica’s Director of Analysis, Nick Redman, and Senior Analysts Katerina Fytatazi and Mike Taylor to discuss the geopolitical risks and opportunities for 2022.

The Council Library hopes you will join in celebrating UNESCO’s International Literacy Day in a year during which access to reading instruction became more irregular with the shift to online education. This year’s theme is ‘Literacy for a human-centered recovery: Narrowing the digital divide’.