Articles and Publications

In the last debate of the second series of EU-Pacific Talks, organised by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, the guests focused on electric and fuel cell vehicles, which are envisaged as a way to decarbonise road transport. Read what our guests discussed in this report by Petra Pospíšilová.

As part of the Café Evropa debate series, a debate was held on the topic The future of energy in the Czech Republic - how to further reduce dependence on fossil fuels? Is the Czech Republic succeeding in diversifying its resources and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels? Will the Czech Republic be energy independent from other countries if it moves away from coal? You can read a summary of the outputs of each guest in the report written by our intern Barbora Kociánová.

Our Senior Research Fellow Jana Juzová, Associate Research Fellow Zuzana Kasáková and Head of the Brussels Office Žiga Faktor prepared the background material for the roundtable of the National Convention on the EU. The topic is "The European Political Community and its future potential". Three main questions are put to the roundtable: What potential does the European Political Community offer and how can it complement existing platforms and processes? In which areas of cooperation does the platform have the greatest potential and what should it focus on? What format and modus operandi would be most beneficial for the Platform to fulfil its purpose?

Our Associate Research Fellow Tereza Novotná and our Senior Research Fellow Kateřina Davidová wrote recommendations arising from the roundtable discussion of the National Convention on the EU held on 28 April 2023 on the topic "Reactions to the US Inflation Reduction Act".

The Ukrainian grain situation is making waves in Europe. Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office Ziga Faktor wrote an Op-Ed about the impact of the situation on the country's EU accession and how some member states are reacting.

Discover Jana Juzová's article titled "To be or not to be: Czech Republic’s ambiguous attitude towards the 3SI" in the working paper series Anticipating the 2023 Three Seas Initiative Bucharest Summit. Advancing the common agenda. Juzová, a senior researcher, provides valuable insights into the complexities of the Czech Republic's stance on the 3SI. Explore this thought-provoking analysis today to understand the dynamics surrounding this strategic initiative.

Kateřina Davidová and Tereza Novotná prepared a background paper for the Round Table of the National Convention on the EU on Reactions to the US Inflation Reduction Act. Three main questions are put to the Roundtable: What impact can the IRA have on Transatlantic relations and free trade in general, and how should the EU try to actively shape these relations? How can the EU ensure the competitiveness and strengthen the productivity of its industry in the future and promote the development of EU produced green technologies? How will the changes affect the Czech Republic directly and how should the Czech Republic proceed within the EU to avoid being left behind in the "green race"? Which specific climate-neutral (net-zero) industrial sectors should the Czech Republic focus on?

Overall, the debate focused on the diversification of global trading partners and how to achieve it. Speakers also discussed the threats associated with dependence on only a few strong countries, which can then take the position of rule makers. The whole debate was linked to the possibilities of global trade with countries that are part of the Indo-Pacific region. Writes Eliska Prostřední in her report on the debate "EU-Pacific Talks: Trade relations with the Indo-Pacific".

Demographic developments – the “greying” of society – remain an issue across the first world; in Europe, the expansion of the welfare state and elevated standards of services has put increasing demands on productivity to maintain the prosperity that has become an integral part of the societal contract.

Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka elaborated recommendations resulting from the roundtable discussion of the National Convention on the EU held on 31 March 2023 on the topic "Energy Market Review". Among the recommendations made for the Czech Republic are, for example, to define its energy concept well in the light of the regional context and European energy policy. Another recommendation is that the Czech Republic should continue to incentivise energy savings as a key part of its preparedness for next winter, in line with the extension of the Regulation on coordinated measures to reduce gas demand.

The second-ever Czech presidency of the EU Council took place in the second half of 2022, a period in which the EU was under considerable pressure following the Russian invasion in Ukraine. What many predicted would be another regular presidency, became half a year of crisis management. Writes Vít Havelka in his Policy Paper called: 2022 Czech Presidency: A Surprising Success.

As noted in previous posts, the Arctic has received considerable attention in the past decade due to climate change, economic opportunities, and the growing military presence in the region. As a result of this trend, shifts in Arctic security dynamics are occurring. What is the future role of the EU in this changing geopolitical environment? Zsanett Gréta Papp asks this question in her blog.