The 2012 Western U.S. Graduate Research Workshop on the European Union
May 4-5, 2012
University of California, Berkeley

The European Union Center of Excellence at UC, Berkeley; the Colorado European Union Center of Excellence at the UC Boulder; and the European Union Center of Excellence of Seattle at UW were pleased to cosponsor the fourth Western United States Graduate Research Workshop on the European Union, at UC, Berkeley on May 4-5, 2012.

The workshop advanced two direct aims: to provide a forum for US-based graduate students at the dissertation level to present research focused on the EU to an audience of knowledgeable, supportive, yet critical faculty and peers; and to provide methodological instruction to students in a way that is relevant to European Union-related work. Instruction was organized around and informed by the research problems and opportunities presented by the EU and European integration. Professors Christine Neuhold (University of Maastricht), Branislav Radeljić (University of East London), and Beverly Crawford (University of California, Berkeley) were responsible for organizing and conducting the workshops.

This workshop was made possible by the generous funding of the European Union Delegation to the United States through the EU Centers of Excellence program, establishing the Network of European Union Centers of Excellence.

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 o 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.

EU Center of Excellence Newsletter
Winter 2012

UC Berkeley's Winter 2012 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.

 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).

Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives to Romani Studies (.pdf), compiled by Elena Tomlinson.

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.

A Fresh Start for the European Charter of Fundamental Rights

On October 27, 2011, the EU Center of Excellence and the Berkeley School of Law welcomed the Honorable Judge Thomas Von Danwitz, the German judge appointed to the European Court of Justice.  His talk, “A Fresh Start for the Charter — Fundamental Questions on the Application of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights,” addressed the court's role in adjudicating legal disputes arising under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The Charter recognizes a range of personal, civil, political, economic and social rights of EU citizens and residents, but it was not until December 2009, with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, that the Charter was given binding legal effect and now applies to EU countries when they implement EU law.  In his talk, Judge Von Danwitz eloquently explored many of the challenges faced by the European Court of Justice, sitting in Luxembourg, in its efforts to harmonize its decisions relating to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, with legal rulings issued by the International Court of Justice and the national constitutional courts of EU member states.