IIEA Talks

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) was forced to recently stress that the rule of law 'forms part of the very foundations of the European Union and its legal order' and is 'given concrete expression in principles containing legally binding obligations for the Member States'. The Court’s renewed emphasis on the importance of the rule of law might surprise considering that access to and continuing membership of the EU formally require, inter alia, compliance with the rule of law. The explanation lies in the unprecedented and repeated violations of EU rule of law requirements originating from some national actors at Member State level in the past decade. In the absence of prompt and forceful reactions by EU political institutions, the CJEU President was forced to warn in 2023 against 'authoritarian drifts' which could lead to the rule of law being replaced with 'rule of lawlessness'. In his address to the IIEA, Professor Pech outlines the reality of the authoritarian drifts mentioned by the CJEU President before focusing on the EU’s (in)action to date in the face of emerging legal black holes within the EU itself. About the Speaker: Laurent Pech is Full Professor of Law, Dean of Law and Head of the Sutherland School of Law. He is also a Visiting Professor of Law at Bordeaux University, a Senior Research Fellow at the CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest, and the co-director of The Good Lobby Profs which he co-founded in 2021.

The EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which was first agreed amid the COVID-19 crisis, serves as temporary instrument designed to swiftly and substantially support the economic recovery of Member States. Financed through the issuance of bonds, the RRF offers an innovative approach to EU funding, disbursing funds based on the progress in achieving reforms and investments. In his address to the IIEA, Tony Murphy, President of the European Court of Auditors, provides insights into the RRF's implementation progress, which encompasses grants and loans with a maximum total value of €723 billion. He addresses the associated challenges and risks from an auditor's perspective as we approach the instrument’s midway point. About the Speaker: A native of Cabra, Tony Murphy currently serves as Irish Member and President of the European Court Auditors (ECA), the EU’s independent external auditor based in Luxembourg. He has served as Irish Member since March 2018 and was elected to lead the Institution in October 2022 for a three-year term. With over 40 years of experience in public sector auditing, Mr Murphy began his career with the Office of Comptroller Auditor General (OCAG) in Dublin in the late 1970s. After two decades with OCAG, he took up a role with the European Commission in Luxembourg. In 2013, he joined the ECA where he served as Head of the Private Office of an ECA Member and as Director prior to his nomination as Member by the Irish Government.

After five years from its first application, the landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) continues to be the topic of extensive debate. Helen Dixon, the Data Protection Commissioner, provides a tour through recent trends in complaints, breaches, regulatory decisions and court judgements. Commissioner Dixon also discusses the future of data protection and assesses what may be in store over the next 5 years of GDPR enforcement. About the Speaker: Helen Dixon was appointed as Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland in September 2014. In this role she is responsible for upholding the rights of individuals regarding how data about them is used, which includes the regulation of a large number of US internet multinationals with European bases in Ireland. Previously, at the Irish Registrar of Companies, she led regulatory enforcement of compliance with the filing provisions of the Companies Acts. Helen has also held senior roles in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and spent the first ten years of her career in the IT industry.

In his address to the IIEA, Timur Gül, Chief Energy Technology Officer of the International Energy Agency (IEA), discusses the role of energy technology and innovation in the clean energy transition. Dr Gül outlines the challenges and opportunities arising from the new clean energy economy, with a focus on clean energy supply chains. About the Speaker: Timur Gül, a German national, was appointed Chief Energy Technology Officer of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in September 2023. In this capacity, he oversees the analysis of innovative new and emerging clean energy technologies and their supply chains across a range of sectors. Mr. Gül is also Head of the Energy Technology Policy Division, with responsibility for the IEA’s technology flagship publication Energy Technology Perspectives and the IEA’s Technology Collaboration network. Having joined the IEA in 2009, Mr. Gül previously was a lead author of the IEA’s World Energy Outlook (WEO). Prior to his time at the IEA, he was a researcher at Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland.

'War in Europe and the role of the United States' Fiona Hill ,Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC., in conversation with Dan O’Brien, IIEA Chief Economist

As many African states have experienced increased political influence on the global stage, rapid development, and sustained economic growth; many have noted that France’s position on the continent has diminished and continues to be challenged by other geo-political actors. Against this backdrop, Emmanuel Macron has recently outlined his new Africa-France Partnership to recast development, economic, fiscal, military, and political relations between Africa and France. In their addresses to the IIEA, Dr Catherine Gegout and Dr Ndongo Samba Sylla share their perspectives on the current state of economic and political relations between Africa and France, as well as an analysis of Macron’s new Africa-France Partnership. About the Speakers: Dr Catherine Gegout is Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of Nottingham. She was Visiting Professor at Harvard Kennedy School in 2019. She is completing a manuscript on The EU and Sustainable Development in the Global South. She wrote the books Why Europe Intervenes in Africa and European Foreign and Security Policy. Dr Ndongo Samba Sylla is Senegalese Development Economist, currently the Research and Policy Director for Africa with the International Development Economics Associates in Dakar. He authored Africa’s Last Colonial Currency: The CFA Franc Story and co-edited Economic and Monetary Sovereignty for 21st century Africa.

In the wake of the publication of the Enlargement Package Report by the European Commission, Peter Burke TD, Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs and Defence, will look at the potential benefits and tests that enlargement will bring for the EU. About the Speaker: Peter Burke TD is the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs and Defence, a post which he has held since December 2022. He has been a TD for Longford-Westmeath since 2016. Prior to his current role, he served as Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning from July 2020 to December 2022.

Following the adoption of the Enlargement Package Report by the European Commission, Lawrence Meredith, Director of Neighbourhood East and Institution Building in DG NEAR, discusses the main conclusions and the next steps, looking at the challenges and opportunities both for the enlargement countries involved and for the EU Member States. About the Speaker: Mr Meredith has been Director for Neighbourhood East and Institution Building in DG NEAR in the European Commission since December 2015. In 2015, he was Head of Strategy in DG NEAR, and led work on the European Neighbourhood Policy Review. Previously, he worked for 10 years on Enlargement Policy, both as Head of Strategy and Head of the Kosovo Issues Unit. He worked in the Cabinet of Commissioner Louis Michel on Southern Africa and the Pacific. Mr Meredith studied Russian & French at Oxford University.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, EU enlargement has regained pertinence. With eight candidate countries and two applicant countries, many have noted the need for reforms in how the EU operates before there can be a 37 Member State Union. In her address to the IIEA, Jessika Roswall, Minister for EU Affairs of Sweden, gives a timely survey of the Swedish government’s view on the topics of EU enlargement and the future of the EU. About the Speaker: Jessika Roswall is the incumbent Minister of EU Affairs and Nordic Cooperation, having held that role since 2022. She has been a member of the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament) since 2010. Prior to her current ministerial role, Ms Roswall was Chair of the Moderate Party in Uppsala County. She also served as a member of the advisory councils of the Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise, the Uppsala County Administrative Board, and the Swedish Consumer Agency. Prior to entering politics, Ms Roswall was a practising lawyer for many years.

In recent years, the world has been beset by a series of interlinked challenges, including humanitarian crises, mounting global debt, and the impact of the nexus of climate change, conflict, and hunger. Simultaneously, the imperative of addressing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires a shared sense of responsibility. In his address to the IIEA, Carsten Staur will discuss the need for balancing urgent needs against long-term development priorities, and will offer his reflections on the role of the DAC in navigating an evolving development cooperation landscape. About the Speaker: Carsten Staur is the Chair of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Prior to taking up this role in March 2023, he was Denmark’s Ambassador to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris from 2018 to 2023. During a career of more than forty years in international diplomacy and development, Ambassador Staur has served as Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations in Geneva from 2013 to 2018 and New York from 2007 to 2013, and as State Secretary for International Development Cooperation from 2001 to 2007. He has also been Director for Development Policy and Planning in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador of Denmark to Israel, Under Secretary for Administrative Affairs, and Under Secretary for Bilateral Development Cooperation. Among many other achievements, Ambassador Staur has co-facilitated negotiations on the outcome of the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals in 2010 as well as of the UN High-Level Meeting on the Rule of Law in 2012. He holds a degree in History and Literature from the University of Copenhagen and has written extensively about globalisation, multilateral affairs, and the United Nations, as well as about Danish foreign and development policy.