@techreport{Quaritsch, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Quaritsch, Luise}, title = {Kein EU-Geld f{\"u}r Th{\"u}ringen? - Die Anwendbarkeit von EU-Rechtsstaatlichkeitsmechanismen auf Regionen}, pages = {8}, abstract = {Am 1. September ist Landtagswahl in Th{\"u}ringen. Dort k{\"o}nnte die rechtsextreme AfD mit deutlichem Vorsprung st{\"a}rkste Kraft werden. Deshalb wird jetzt diskutiert, wie man Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit auf Landesebene vor autorit{\"a}ren Kr{\"a}ften sch{\"u}tzen kann. Auch die EU k{\"o}nnte hier eine Rolle spielen. Bisher hat die Kommission haupts{\"a}chlich auf Angriffe auf demokratische Institutionen auf nationaler Ebene reagiert. Aber auch regionale Regierungen m{\"u}ssen sich an die Grundwerte der EU halten. In einem f{\"o}deralen System wie Deutschland spielen die Bundesl{\"a}nder außerdem eine wichtige Rolle bei der Umsetzung von Europarecht und verwalten EU-F{\"o}rdergelder in Milliardenh{\"o}he. Die Analyse zeigt am Beispiel von Th{\"u}ringen, dass die meisten Rechtsstaatlichkeitsinstrumente der EU auch auf regionaler Ebene angewandt werden k{\"o}nnten. Dabei w{\"a}re das Zur{\"u}ckhalten von EU-F{\"o}rdergeldern das effektivste Mittel.}, language = {de} } @techreport{Heimbach, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Heimbach, Henriette}, title = {A Watchdog on the Leash - 5 Years of Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly}, pages = {8}, abstract = {In March 2024, the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly (FGPA) celebrated its fifth anniversary. This binational forum can be viewed as a genuine step towards integration in Franco-German relations besides the Aachen Treaty. The FGPA is designed to be a watchdog over the Franco-German treaties and to bring together political actors of both countries to discuss and resolve conflictual issues and contribute to European initiatives. After five years of its being, the results are mixed. Franco-German governmental relations are more conflictual than ever. While the FGPA proved added value during the Covid-19 pandemic by convincing the French and German interior ministers to lift border controls, it has been notably reticent on the Ukraine war and other foreign policy conflicts. The FGPA would benefit by being bolder and extricating itself step-by-step from national political constraints. In this way, parliamentary dialogue can help the two key partners to find common ground on a range of European issues.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Kohlenberger, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Kohlenberger, Judith}, title = {Asylpolitischer Unterbietungswettbewerb ohne Gewinner: Warum es europ{\"a}ische L{\"o}sungen braucht}, pages = {10}, abstract = {Der Policy Brief thematisiert die Herausforderungen und Defizite der aktuellen europ{\"a}ischen Migrationspolitik, insbesondere den „Wettbewerb nach unten" der Mitgliedstaaten, vor dem Hintergrund einer sich versch{\"a}rfenden Migrationsdebatte in Deutschland. Immer mehr EU-Mitgliedsstaaten ergreifen restriktivere Maßnahmen, von Auslagerungsabkommen {\"u}ber Binnengrenzkontrollen bis hin zur Aussetzung des Asylrechts, was zu einer immer ungleicheren Verteilung des Migrationsdrucks in Europa f{\"u}hrt. Nationale Alleing{\"a}nge und populistische Rhetorik untergraben die Solidarit{\"a}t innerhalb der EU und f{\"u}hren zu einer Aush{\"o}hlung unionsrechtlicher Prinzipien. Dabei sind viele dieser Maßnahmen symbolischer Natur und verfehlen ihre intendierte Wirkung. Zielf{\"u}hrender w{\"a}re das Hinarbeiten auf eine gemeinsame europ{\"a}ische L{\"o}sung, die faire Asylverfahren und menschenw{\"u}rdige Unterbringung in allen Mitgliedsstaaten sicherstellt. Deutschland k{\"o}nnte hierbei eine Vorbildfunktion einnehmen, insbesondere durch die Umsetzung der j{\"u}ngst beschlossenen Reform des Gemeinsamen Europ{\"a}ischen Asylsystems (GEAS) und eine st{\"a}rkere Einbindung von EU-Institutionen zur {\"U}berwachung und Durchsetzung der Asylstandards.}, language = {de} } @techreport{Mack, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Mack, Sebastian}, title = {Europe ventures forward: Getting the scaleup of cleantech right}, pages = {16}, abstract = {Public interventions that help European startups to scale up their businesses have so far focused mainly on establishing a functioning market for venture capital (VC) and making it attractive to private investors. However, VC funding in Europe remains a fraction of what is required, still relies heavily on the public purse and fails to channel resources into strategic green sectors. Changing this requires three measures. First, the EU should enable institutional investors to invest independently in VC. Second, the European Investment Fund should strengthen the sustainability impact of its support for VCs. And third, the European Investment Bank should expand its direct investments in cleantech scaleups that are too risky for private investors.}, language = {en} } @techreport{OstaninaTardy, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Ostanina, Sascha and Tardy, Thierry}, title = {Turbo-charging the EU's defence industry and security posture}, pages = {16}, abstract = {The first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy and its financial leg, the European Defence Industrial Programme, saw the light of day in March 2024. The strategy seeks to ameliorate deficiencies in EU defence readiness identified in light of the Russo-Ukrainian war. It offers an ambitious agenda and tailor-made incentives designed to encourage EU member states to invest more, better, together, and European. The Jacques Delors Institute's Associate Research Fellow Thierry Tardy and the Jacques Delors Centre's Security Policy Fellow Sascha Ostanina argue that the strategy is a good start to motivate European countries for more action in the defence sector. However, as long as the EU fails to take on a larger defence mandate via treaty change, the strategy success will hinge upon whether the member states, and their respective industrial defence sectors, will be willing to step up to the plate.}, language = {en} } @techreport{TordoirRedekerGuttenberg, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Tordoir, Sander and Redeker, Nils and Guttenberg, Lucas}, title = {How buy-European rules can help save Europe's car industry}, publisher = {Bertelsmann Stiftung}, address = {G{\"u}tersloh}, pages = {18}, abstract = {Europe's car industry faces a perfect storm. Chinese car exports are surging, European producers are being squeezed out of global markets, US tariffs are rising, and domestic demand remains 20\% below pre-pandemic levels. Instead of sliding into a costly muddle of regulatory rollbacks, bailouts, and fragmented national subsidies, the EU should harness its single market - 450 million consumers and a vast corporate sector - to drive demand for Europe-made vehicles. That means co-ordinating consumer subsidies with a buy-European clause, applying it to both private and corporate fleets, and using it as a platform for reciprocal EV-subsidy agreements with trusted trade partners. A window for action is open: Germany, France, Italy, and Spain all need to renew their EV-support schemes in the coming months. Together, they represent 70\% of EU car registrations—and could launch broader European coordination.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Mack, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Mack, Sebastian}, title = {Get your act together - The EU must push ahead with banking union to boost confidence in its banking system}, abstract = {EU banks have so far weathered the storm caused by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and sharp interest rate hikes. However, the failure of Credit Suisse and three US tech banks underlines how quickly investor and creditor trust can erode, prompting regulators to intervene and governments to provide public support. While swift and decisive action in the US and Switzerland prevented a systemic bank crisis, the EU will struggle to preserve financial stability if things go badly wrong. To boost confidence in its banking system, it is therefore high time for the EU to push ahead with banking union. To get its act together, the EU should 1) improve banks' resilience by adopting strict prudential regulation instead of creating new vulnerabilities, 2) make the crisis management framework more credible to ensure that banks can fail without using taxpayers' money, and 3) put in place European backstops to bank resolution and deposit insurance to withstand a systemic crisis.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Jaeger, type = {Working Paper}, author = {J{\"a}ger, Philipp}, title = {Cautionary tale or model for Europe? How member states should react to Germany's new electricity subsidy}, pages = {14}, abstract = {The EU's updated state-aid rules now permit direct industrial electricity subsidies (IESs), allowing Germany to introduce its planned 'Industriestrompreis'. This policy brief presents new data on subsidies for industry in major EU member states, showing that the competitiveness threat of the planned German IES is limited. As industrial policy tools, however, IESs are argued to be blunt and fiscally expensive, compared to narrower instruments targeted either at decarbonisation, EU resilience or economic objectives. Other member states should hence refrain from simply copying the German IES. Ultimately, national subsidies like an IES can only help industry if swift and substantial progress is made towards a more durable policy framework characterised by a strong EU dimension.}, language = {en} }