Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 12 hours ago
2023 ESPAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
“Building Europe's Future: Time for Strategic Choices”
Tuesday 14 November 2023.
🌐 Conference website: https://www.espas.eu/conference2023.html
The annual conference of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) was held on Tuesday 14 November. As in previous years, it was co-hosted by the European Commission and the European Parliament.
At a time when an illegal and unprovoked war continues to rage on European soil and ahead of the next EU institutional cycle, this year's 11th ESPAS annual conference focused on the key global trends at the crossroads of geopolitics, the environment, technology, the economy, and democracy. We debated, inter alia, the growing linkages between stability, security and the economy, the global tech race and future social, economic and environmental fairness, and digital technologies and their impact on democracy. We also mapped the related strategic choices for Europe in the period to 2040.
This year's conference "Building Europe's future: time for strategic choices" will be a stepping stone in the journey towards the fourth ESPAS Global Trends Report, due to be published in February 2024. We hope this conference will help to shape the public debate in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections in 2024, and offer citizens a forward-looking perspective for Europe.
2023 ESPAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
“Building Europe's Future: Time for Strategic Choices”
Tuesday 14 November 2023.
🌐 Conference website: https://www.espas.eu/conference2023.html
The annual conference of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) was held on Tuesday 14 November. As in previous years, it was co-hosted by the European Commission and the European Parliament.
At a time when an illegal and unprovoked war continues to rage on European soil and ahead of the next EU institutional cycle, this year's 11th ESPAS annual conference focused on the key global trends at the crossroads of geopolitics, the environment, technology, the economy, and democracy. We debated, inter alia, the growing linkages between stability, security and the economy, the global tech race and future social, economic and environmental fairness, and digital technologies and their impact on democracy. We also mapped the related strategic choices for Europe in the period to 2040.
This year's conference "Building Europe's future: time for strategic choices" will be a stepping stone in the journey towards the fourth ESPAS Global Trends Report, due to be published in February 2024. We hope this conference will help to shape the public debate in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections in 2024, and offer citizens a forward-looking perspective for Europe.
![What if Europe ran out of water? [Science and Technology Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xH3TErPluk4/mqdefault.jpg "What if Europe ran out of water? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Droughts and water scarcity are no longer rare or extreme events in Europe. About 20 % of the European territory and 30 % of Europeans are affected by water stress, especially in Southern Europe but also around some river basins in Western and Central Europe. And climate change will only make matters worse, increasing the frequency of extreme events and making the south even drier.
Subscribe to EPRS Science and Technology Podcasts:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html")
![Strategic technologies for Europe platform (STEP) [Policy Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y2tGk4M6oy4/mqdefault.jpg "Strategic technologies for Europe platform (STEP) [Policy Podcast]
In June 2023, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a regulation establishing a new strategic technologies for Europe platform (STEP). STEP would rely on the reprogramming of funds under existing EU instruments. It would also come with an additional budget of €10 billion. Overall, the platform could leverage up to €160 billion in investment, of which €110 billion would be triggered by the top-up. STEP would direct funding to strategic projects supporting the development and manufacturing of deep and digital technologies, clean technologies and biotechnologies, and the strengthening of their value chains, to meet the challenges of the green and digital transitions.
Subscribe to EPRS Policy Podcasts: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html
See the paper publication behind this podcast:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2023)754547")
![Combatting corruption in the European Union [Policy Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z0fWz7jeFo8/mqdefault.jpg "Combatting corruption in the European Union [Policy Podcast]
Corruption is a major challenge for the European Union (EU), with all its Member States affected by the problem to some extent. The EU has gradually adopted laws addressing a range of corruption-related issues. However, the current legal framework remains patchy, the lack of minimum rules on the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of corruption being one important missing element. Recently, corruption-related issues have been addressed almost exclusively within the EU rule of law framework, a development criticised by various stakeholders, including the European Parliament.
🎧 Subscribe to EPRS Policy Podcasts: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html
🔎 See the paper publication behind this podcast: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2022)739241")
![People with disabilities and the European elections [Policy Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zESrQka_v5E/mqdefault.jpg "People with disabilities and the European elections [Policy Podcast]
Getting involved in political life: standing for elected office, joining a political party, or following the news; is at the heart of what it means to live in a democracy. People with disabilities are active citizens, keen to participate given the right opportunities. However, they face legal, administrative, institutional and accessibility barriers to taking part. Several EU initiatives encourage people with disabilities to participate in politics. With the 2024 European elections on the horizon, the European Parliament is committed to helping them take part.
See the publication behind this podcast: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2024)757655
🎧Listen to our podcasts reporting on the latest EU policy developments, looking into the impact they will have on our lives and capturing their policy implications:
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/european-parliament-eprs-policy-podcasts/id1086996218?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6gy0Q2GWrcpPsAE71iSiEn
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXVyb3BhcmwuZXVyb3BhLmV1L3Jzcy9wb2RjYXN0L2VwcnMtcG9saWN5LXBvZGNhc3Qvb3IueG1s
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/2556622
TuneIn Radio: http://tunein.com/radio/EPRS-Plenary-Podcast-p762190/
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/european-parliament-eprs-policy-podcasts
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