In this online workshop organised by the Brightlands Institute for Smart Society, we explored two topics of fundamental importance for Europe’s digital age. In the first session, we discussed democratising and governing an increasingly digital Europe that often moves at a much faster speed than its institutions.

The second session was dedicated to the future of work – from what and where to how and how much – a topic that is gaining salience as we come out of the pandemic and return (or not) to our offices and routines.

This online workshop was organised in the framework of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet RELAY project coordinated by Campus Brussels. RELAY is a project that aims at discussing the European Commission’s political guidelines and work programme with a wide and diverse array of stakeholders. For more information, please visit the RELAY webpage​. 

Full Video: RELAY Workshop ‘A digital Europe that benefits all’

12-04-2021   09:00 – 16:00 (GMT+0) Dublin

The after-effects of the euro-crisis continue to cast a shadow over the future of Europe. The political guidelines for the European Commission (2019-2024) include a commitment to An Economy That Works for People. At the heart of this commitment is a pledge to undertake the necessary institutional reforms to bring about the deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union. There is also a commitment to other basic principles – gender equality, support for SMEs, tax fairness, and strengthening of the social pillar. This conference cast a critical eye on these guidelines by exploring their appropriateness and their feasibility.

The event featured as a keynote speaker Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner in charge of Economic Affairs, and took stock of the major development which Next Generation EU, the post-pandemic recovery fund, represents for the future of the European Union.

The EU Recovery Fund: An Economy that Works for the People

The New EU Economic Policy after Covid-19 and Next Generation EU

The European Economy & the Future of the Eurozone after Brexit: An Economy that Works for the People

Next Generation EU and the Conference on the Future of Europe: An Economy that Works for the People

25.01.2021   9:30 – 16:00

‘The atmosphere is warming and the climate is changing with each passing year. One million of the eight million species on the planet are at risk of being lost. Forests and oceans are being polluted and destroyed. The European Green Deal is a response to these challenges. It is a new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. It also aims to protect, conserve and enhance the EU’s natural capital, and protect the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts. At the same time, this transition must be just and inclusive. It must put people first, and pay attention to the regions, industries and workers who will face the greatest challenges.’ (The Green Deal).

This workshop discussed how ‘The Green Deal’ is tackling this issue and gives a ‘voice’ to the voiceless. It examined the policies behind the Green Deal in relation to the role of Nature and Animals in our Society and discussed the Green Deal’s shortcomings with regard to the ‘voiceless’ members of the European society and of the regions beyond the EU that might be affected by Green Deal-related policies. The central question of the webinar was: ‘What are the current issues with regard to the ‘true’ sustainability goals the Green Deal should pursue and what actions are required to give animals and nature a more prominent role in the Green Deal debates?’

Impressions: RELAY Workshop on ‘The Green Deal: What are its Implications for Animals and Nature?’

Full Video: RELAY Workshop on ‘The Green Deal: What are its Implications for Animals and Nature?’

04.12.2020   9:30 – 16:30

This conference kicked-off the events series within the RELAY project. It brought together academics and a wide array of stakeholders in an extensive range of domains, allowing for differentiated perspectives on all of the European Commission’s political priorities, from digitalization, through the European Green Deal, to the EU as a global player.

These challenges became the ever more pertinent against the backdrop of the Covid-19 Pandemic that “constitutes an unprecedented challenge with very severe socio-economic consequences” (European Council 2020).

The RELAY kick-off conference set the scene of the subsequent thematic workshop series, during which the different political priorities will be examined and discussed in more detail.

Impressions: RELAY Kick-off Conference