Branislav Radeljic: Visiting Scholar

The EU Center is pleased to welcome Branislav Radeljic as a visiting scholar in summer 2012-13. Professor Radeljic teaches International Politics within the School of Law and Social Sciences at University of East London, UK. He is the author of Europe and the Collapse of Yugoslavia: The Role of Non-State Actors and European Diplomacy (London and New York: I.B. Tauris, 2012), and the editor of Europe and the Post-Yugoslav Space (Farnham: Ashgate, 2013) and Debating European Identity: Bright Ideas, Dim Prospects (Oxford: Peter Lang, forthcoming 2014).

During his stay at the European Union Center of Excellence at the UC Berkeley, Branislav will be focusing on his new book project as well as a new undergraduate course on European Union politics.

Public Panel: Comparative Affirmative Action Law

Since 2011, the EU Center has supported annual conferences organized by the Berkeley Comparative Anti-Discrimination Law Study Group, an organization of legal scholars, practicing lawyers and activists from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, who share an interest in comparing the approaches of different legal systems to the problems of discrimination. The group meets regularly by video conference to discuss new cases, and meets annually to exchange and discuss scholarly papers. The first annual conference took place in 2012 in Paris, at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po). The second took place at the Berkeley Law School in April 2013.

On April 5th, the conference closed with a public panel title Comparative Affirmative Action Law. The panel was moderated by Ian Haney-Lopez, of Berkeley Law, and featured Gareth Davies (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Alvaro Oliveira (Equal Treatment Legislation Unit, European Commission), David Oppenheimer (Berkeley Law), John Powell (Berkeley Law & Haas Institute for a Fair & Inclusive Society) and Belinda Smith (The University of Sydney School of Law). Each panelist organized a ten minute presentation focused on affirmative action law in their home jurisdiction. Davies and Oliveira focused on initiatives related to women on corporate boards in Europe; Powell discussed the concept of 'otherness' and widening the circle of concern in all societies; Smith explained the Australian approach to gender equality; and Oppenheimer made the case for returning to the roots of affirmative action as a remedy for past injustice in the United States, rather than applying the 'diversity' standard. Following the presentations, Haney-Lopez prompted the panel with pointed topical questions on the aims and effect of affirmative action policy and the floor was opened for questions from the audience, which ranged from questions about the Roma in Europe to the opening of doors for Asian-Americans in more glamorous positions (such as the film industry). The conference concluded with a reception where guests and panelists were able to mingle and reflect upon the proceedings.

Fifth Annual Educator Workshop on the European Union

On February 9, 2013, the Center welcomed eighteen educators from secondary schools and community colleges in Northern and Central California to its 2013 professional development workshop on the European Union. The workshop opened with a talk by Professor of Law Stavros Gadinis, who traced the politicization of European financial regulation after the economic crisis. Norbert Finszch, Professor of History at University of Cologne and Visiting Scholar with the Institute of European Studies (IES), followed with a thought-provoking discussion of the definition of genocide; he traced the history and politics surrounding its formation, and argued that the definition of genocide today excludes far too many instances, historical and contemporary, of violence against social groups deserving of the protection it offers. Dr. Natasa Besirevic, Visiting Scholar at the EU Center and Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES), analyzed the challenges involved in democratizing Croatia for accession to the European Union, and the implications of the process for other Western Balkan States. Jannika Kremer, recipient of the Center’s Fellowship for research leading to a senior thesis, closed the workshop with a case study that illustrated these challenges on the ground, in an analysis of Macedonia’s efforts to align its waste management efforts with EU waste regulation policy.

EU Roadmap for Moving to a Competitive Low Carbon Economy

Dr. Christian Burgsmüller, Counselor, Head of the Energy, Transport and Environment Section, Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America spoke on efforts the EU has made in meeting carbon goals at Berkeley's EU Center on March 12, 2013..

According to Prof. Burgsmüller, the European Union has binding targets in place to reach a triple 20% target by the year 2020: a 20% share of renewable energy, a 20% improvement in energy efficiency, and a 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990. Based on measures in place, the EU is on track to meet two out of these (renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions); work is underway to ensure that the energy efficiency target is being met too. As a result, over two decades, emissions have declined by 16% while the EU economy grew by 40%. The European Commission's long term objective is to reduce emissions by 80% to 95% by 2050.  The measures envisaged to meet this objective include support for the development of a new generation of competitive low-carbon technologies for renewable energies; energy storage; and the development of trans-European energy networks.

This event was cosponsored by the Institute of European Studies (IES); and Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES); and funded by the European Union.

Visiting Professor of Law Martin Nettesheim at Cal

The EU Center is pleased to welcome Professor of Law Martin Nettesheim as its Distinguished Visiting EU Scholar in Spring 2013. Prof. Nettesheim teaches law at the University of Tübingen, where he also serves as Chaired Professor for German Public Law, European Community Law, and International Law; Director of the Tübingen University Center for International Economic Law (TURCIEL); and board member of the Center for Studies in Federalism. He has published comprehensively in the areas of EU law, international economic law, and German constitutional law, including an edited multi-volume commentary on the Treaties of the European Union (Das Recht der Europaeischen Union, 3 volumes, 2012), and a comprehensive introduction to EU Law (Europarecht, 5th ed. 2011). He has also represented various cases at national and international courts and tribunals.

Professor Nettesheim is currently working on the stabilization of the Euro-Zone as representative of the German government in court proceedings on the constitutionality of the “rescue measures.” He is also writing a book about democratic theory in settings of multi-level governance, and a publication about the protection of personal privacy. While at Berkeley, he will give three public seminars moderated by UC faculty:

Saving the Euro, Saving Europe: The Role of law and Institutions

March 6: The Euro-crisis: Underlying weaknesses of the monetary Union and Institutional Reactions (ESM/Fiscal Treaty)

April 3: The Legal Dimension: The Decisions of the European Court of Justice and the German Constitutional Court

April 9: Toward a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union: Positions and Perspectives.

Dr. Nettesheim’s visit is sponsored by the EU Center of Excellence, Institute of Governmental Studies, Institute of International Studies, Institute of European Studies, Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.

Visiting Scholar from Croatia

The EU Center is pleased to welcome Prof. Natasa Besirevic as a visiting fellow on the American Councils Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP). Prof. Besirevic teaches Political Science and International Affairs in the Department of Comparative Politics at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Her scholarly interests include public diplomacy and journalism. She has also maintained the role of coordinator at the Center for European Studies at the University of Zagreb since 2008, and served as alumni representative for the University of Sussex in Croatia.

While at Berkeley, Besirevic will be exploring new educational materials and resources on the EU and learning best teaching practices from UC Berkeley faculty under the guidance of faculty mentor, Professor of Political Economy and EUCE Codirector, Beverly Crawford. She plans on using the information she acquires to implement new teaching methodologies and develop online courses on the EU for students in Croatia and the Western Balkans region. As an EU Center visiting scholar, she will share her expertise on Croatia’s ascension to the EU at the 5th Annual Educator Workshop on February 9; on January 22 Besirevic participated in a video conference on Croatia hosted by the EU Center at the University of Pittsburgh as part of its spring installment of “Conversations on Europe” – a series of interactive virtual roundtables.

EU Center of Excellence Newsletter
Winter 2013

UC Berkeley's Winter 2013 EU Center of Excellence Newsletter is now available online. Read updates on our activities, faculty publications, student accomplishments, and distinguished guests. Go to the Newsletter here.

Will the European Union Survive? 

A series of seminars on the future of the Europoean Union with Sergio Fabbrini, professor of Political Science and International Relations, director of the LUISS School of Government, Rome, and distinguished EU Visiting Scholar, UC Berkeley, took place at in 119 Moses Hall (the Joseph P. Harris Room) last month. Working versions of his talks (.doc) are linked below.

Feb. 2:  Crises on the Road to European Integration (.doc)
Discussant: Professor Beverly Crawford

Feb. 9: The Resurgence of National Governments? (.doc)
Discussant: Professor Chris Ansell

Feb. 16 : The Future of the EU: Federation, Confederation, or Disintegration (.pdf)
Discussants: Professor David Vogel and Professor Martin Shapiro

Prof. Fabbrini's talks were sponsored by the European Union Center of Excellence, Institute of Governmental Studies, and Institute of International Studies.

 Fourth Annual Educator Workshop on the European Union

The European Union Center of Excellence at UC Berkeley hosted educators from secondary schools and community colleges in the Bay Area and throughout California to the Fourth Annual Educator Workshop on the European Union on Saturday, March 10, 2012.

Talks by EU Center Codirector and Political Scientist Beverly Crawford kicked off the workshop with her discussion of “Euromyths or Eurorealities: Of Blind Men and the Elephants”; Ryan Philips, PhD candidate, Department of Political Science (pictured at left) followed up with his presentation on “The Financial Crisis and the Political Legitimacy of the European Union”; finally, a more visually-oriented talk by Elena Tomlinson, PhD candidate, Department of Architecture, investigated “Home Ownership and the Transformation of Roma Settlements after Socialism.”

UC scholars untangled common misperceptions about the EU in these presentations, and brought up issues of European power, history, institutional organization, and minorities in the process. Post-event evaluations indicated the secondary teacher audience was thrilled with the workshop and comments such as the following were the norm:

“I have gained an enormous perspective relevant to my National Board certification process, my teaching, and my personal life. My interest in sociology and history has been reignited. Thank you for your organization of this event; I could tell from your words and demeanor that you truly care about the content of these lectures and want the experience to be special for the attendees.”

Workshop Resources:

Presentation Slides of Beverly Crawford’s lecture Euromyths and Eurorealities: Of Blind Men and the Elephants (.pdf).

Classroom Resources from the European Delegation and EU Bookshop:

Many of these may be ordered free of charge. Click here to explore publications available to educators on the site of the European Delegation.