The US has embarked on a new attempt to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict, backed by wide international support. But the situation on the ground between Israel and the Palestinians is so bad that peace looks out of reach for now. The Palestinians are divided and feuding; half of them are outside the peace talks and virtually at war with Israel. Clara Marina O’Donnell suggests how the EU can help resolve the current stalemate and improve the prospects for peace, in particular by convincing its American and Israeli partners of the need to engage Hamas.

press release

The European Union, together with its member-states, is the world's largest source of development aid. Yet the Union under-performs as a donor: its various governments and the Commission seldom co-ordinate their efforts, and often fail to think strategically. However, national governments and the Commission are increasingly open to reform. In this new CER working paper, Aurore Wanlin suggests how the EU could become more effective at promoting development.

press release

The EU needs to tackle a new threat: international organised crime. Europe's criminal underworld is taking advantage of new opportunities to commit crime that come with the increasing mobility of people, goods and services across national boundaries. Cheap internet access, mobile phones and budget air travel allows criminals to commit old crimes, like theft or fraud, in new ways and in relative anonymity. This paper asks whether European police forces are doing enough to break up organised criminal networks. It examines the difficulties police and prosecutors encounter when working together on cross-border investigations and recommends how co-operation can be improved.

press release