Latvian Presidency kicks off a two-day CEPS Idea Labs conference

The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), in partnership with the Latvian Presidency, organised a two day conference "More or Less Europe?". The event brought together more than 100 opinion leaders and 400 participants from governmental, non-governmental, and academic circles.

Opening the event, the Latvian Prime Minister Ms. Laimdota Straujuma pointed out the challenges that the EU faces today - be it in terms of security, in terms of jobs and economic growth, or in the context of an evolving political landscape in the Member States.

Answering to the question on whether there is a need for more or less Europe, Prime Minister Straujuma said "it's not about more or less Europe, but making sure we have the right policies in place to build a better Europe." She also invited the participants of the conference to "step out of the box and look beyond the framework."

The Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Edgars Rinkēviās opened the first plenary of the CEPS Ideas Lab with a speech on the topic of European Security and Defence. In his speech the Minister pointed out that the annexation of Crimea, Russia's aggression in east of Ukraine, prolonged political unrest in Libya and terrorism threats in the Middle East and North Africa have strengthened the conviction that Europe needs a new security strategy.

"We need joint risk assessments and joint response to threats. We need unity", said minister Rinkēviās. He also pointed out that the creation of such a strategy would be the easiest of tasks, while its implementation would be the most challenging part.

The Centre for European Policy Studies is among the most experienced think tanks in Brussels and the whole of the European Union today. It is a leading forum for debate on EU affairs and has an extensive network of partners across the globe. The Ideas Lab is an innovative, content-focused event that brings together experts, opinion-leaders and policy-makers from all over the world. The special feature of this event is that the debates take place in small groups of maximum 30 participants, all leading experts in their respective policy areas, to raise a lively, constructive, and frank debate, which is intended to come up with new ideas and concrete policy recommendations for the EU institutions.