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On Defense, France Bites the Bullet, But Avoids Strategic Insolvency May 7, 2013
Iceland’s Recovery Saga Presents Opportunities for Brussels, Washington—and Beijing May 6, 2013
Which Way Forward for Europe’s Hybrid Regimes? May 2, 2013
The Arab Revolts and the Liberal Order May 2, 2013
Events
Andrew Light Speaker Tour in Europe May 14, 2013 / Berlin, Germany; Brussels, BelgiumGMF Senior Fellow Andrew Light participated in a speaking tour in Europe to discuss opportunities for transatlantic cooperation on climate and energy policy in the second Obama administration.
In this podcast, GMF Vice President of Programs Ivan Vejvoda discusses last month's historic agreement to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
Anchor Elaine Reyes speaks with Andrew Small, Transatlantic Fellow of the Asia Program for the German Marshall Fund, about Beijing's potential role in brokering peace between Israel and Palestine
Events
Mary Robinson advocates EU sugar reform May 30, 2005 / Brussels
This year’s legislative review of the European Union’s (EU) sugar trade policies could potentially raise millions of the poor out of poverty and help catalyze development throughout the African Continent. Nevertheless, there are sharp disagreements over the best path to reform. To help chart the way forward, GMF hosted former Irish President and former United Nations High Commissioner Mary Robinson and EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Development Mariann Fischer Boel in Brussels on May 30 for a public discussion of how best to bring the EU’s sugar policy into compliance with global trade rules and also improve the impact such policies have on the developing world.
In front of an audience of journalists, sugar users and producers, policymakers, and NGO groups, Commissioner Fischer Boel and President Robinson, who now directs the Ethical Globalization Initiative, deliberated a forthcoming European Union "Action Plan" intended to reduce the preferential price for sugar that is currently paid to European producers and a handful of African and Caribbean nations. Herbert Oberhansli, Head of Economic and International Relations for Nestlé, offered comments on both presentations and assessed the potential impact that the various sugar reform options could have on local agricultural sectors and small African sugar producers. As a next step, GMF will sponsor its own independent assessment of the "Action Plan" and issue recommendations outlining the various kinds of transition assistance that could be offered to least-developed sugar-producing countries.
The May 30 public debate and discussion is the first of what GMF hopes will be several events designed to enhance public dialogue and understanding on the effects of EU sugar reform. GMF will continue to convene interested stakeholders around key sugar reform-related events on the legislative calendar over the course of the next year, including a potential September 2005 debate between independent analysts and Ambassadors from the African and Caribbean nations most likely to be affected by changes to the existing sugar regime.
