• Opinion piece by Mark Leonard
    The Wall Street Journal, 05 February 2004

    London, Paris and Berlin are working hard to put the past behind them. After a year that began with bitter rancor over Iraq and ended with the collapse of negotiations over the European constitution, the desire of pro-Europeans to face the future is understandable.  

  • Opinion piece by Charles Grant
    Open democracy, 03 February 2004

    How do Iranians see the world – its foreign policy establishment, its dissident intellectuals, and its ordinary people? Charles Grant, just returned from a week in Tehran, presents a vivid portrait of a political system under pressure.

  • Bulletin article by Steven Everts, 02 February 2004

    Last year may have been an annus horribilis for the EU, but 2004 looks set to be just as divisive. In between negotiating a new EU budget and a possible starting date for Turkey's accession negotiations, EU leaders have to choose a new Commission president.

  • Bulletin article by Daniel Keohane and Adam Townsend, 01 January 2004

    EU member-states disagree on whether the EU should have its own military headquarters, or continue to depend on NATO to help run EU operations. This dispute is becoming increasingly theological.

  • Policy brief by Steven Everts, 19 December 2003

    The IAEA's decision to censure Iran for its nuclear activities but also to give Tehran time to co-operate with inspectors creates a breathing space. The EU should use it to put forward a broader set of policies, fleshing out the political and economic incentives it is offering Tehran, while making clear that if Iran fails to satisfy the IAEA, trade and other sanctions will follow.

  • Briefing note by John Springford, 11 December 2003

    Is there a clear and lasting division between new and old Europe at the level of public opinion? This paper looks at public opinion polls conducted in the EU-15 countries and ten new members that will join the EU in 2004, to see which countries' populations supported the Iraq war before and after it took place.

  • Briefing note by Charles Grant, 05 December 2003

    The deal struck between Britain, France and Germany on the future of European defence is good news for those who believe that the EU should focus more on military capabilities than institutions.

  • Briefing note by Charles Grant, 03 October 2003

    European defence has returned to the top of EU governments’ agendas this year, with the divisions provoked by the Iraq war making it a highly sensitive subject. It is possible to argue that the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) has proceeded according to plan in 2003.