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EPSC Strategic Notes
EPSC Strategic Notes are analytical papers on topics chosen by the President of the European Commission. They are produced by the European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC), the European Commission’s in-house think tank.
Recent issues
 | The Social Dimension of Economic and Monetary Union |
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| Towards Convergence and Resilience | |||
| Issue 5 18 June |
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| In advanced economies, which base their prosperity on productivity growth and innovative prowess, social and economic performance are two sides of the same coin. Modern social policy must be both about enabling people to make the most out of their talent as well as ensuring equity in opportunity. | |||
| Download (DE) | Download (FR) | Download (EN) |
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 | In Defence of Europe |
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| Defence Integration as a Response to Europe’s Strategic Moment | |||
| Issue 4 15 June |
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| An increasingly unstable neighbourhood, a changing geopolitical environment and shrinking national defence budgets pose massive challenges to Europe’s security. Intensified military cooperation is widely accepted as the best solution for Europe’s defence – yet the current system fails to deliver. | |||
| Download (DE) | Download (FR) | Download (EN) |
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 | The Euro Plus Pact |
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| How Integration into the EU Framework can Give New Momentum for Structural Reforms in the Euro Area | |||
| Issue 3 8 May |
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| The Euro Plus Pact addressed key policy areas but it largely failed to incentivise structural reforms across the board and over time. Nonetheless, many Member States have undertaken significant reform efforts in past years, prompted primarily by market pressure. The overriding challenge is how to rekindle the appetite for these reforms that remain necessary now that intense market scrutiny has abated. | |||
| Download (DE) | Download (FR) | Download (EN) |
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 | Legal Migration
in the EU |
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| From Stop-Gap Solutions to a Future-Proof Policy | |||
| Issue 2 30 April |
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| Migratory flows have never been bigger and they are forecast to double in the next 35 years. Europe will be a top destination for migrants, with or without a legal migration system in place. It is therefore in Europe’s self-interest to manage that inflow and root it in the formal economy. | |||
| Download (DE) | Download (FR) | Download (EN) |
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 | The Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank |
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| A New Multilateral Financial Institution or a Vehicle for China’s Geostrategic Goals | |||
| Issue 1 24 April |
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| Starting with a capital base of $100 billion – more than twice as large as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has the potential to be a game changer in multilateral development finance. | |||
| Download (DE) | Download (FR) | Download (EN) |
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