Flagship Events in 2012

I. The Maastricht Treaty: Taking Stock After 20 Years, 7-8 February 2012, Maastricht 

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, the MCEG and FASoS, in cooperation with the Municipality of Maastricht and the Province of Limburg, organised a series of interrelated events. The first part of this conference consisted of a panel debate between people who were involved in the negotiation process: former Dutch Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Wim Kok; the former Commission Vice-President, Henning Christophersen; and the former Spanish MEP and President of the European Parliament, Enrique Baron Crespo. They debated the significance and legacy of the Maastricht Treaty. This event was held in the Statenzaal of the Province of Limburg building, where the treaty was originally signed, and was followed by a reception. The second, more academic, part of the conference involved presentations and panel discussions by a number of leading scholars of European integration. Prominent economists, historians and political scientists discussed the origins, development and future of the treaty in the context of an interdisciplinary conference that was followed by a keynote lecture by the renowned author Parag Khanna (New America Foundation/Council of European Foreign Relations).

II. The Maastricht Monnet Lecture Series 2011-2012

Over the course of the academic year, the MCEG organised a series of four evening lectures open to students, staff, members of the civil society and the general public. 

• “The EU at a crossroads: towards further integration or decline?” Mr Philippe Lamberts, Member of the Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA group), 29 November 2011, Maastricht.
• “Europe and Asia – partners or rivals?” Prof. Philomena Murray, Associate Professor in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, 29 March 2012, Maastricht.
• “A Greek Tragedy: American Attitudes toward the European Union”, Prof.Desmond Dinan, Jean Monnet Professor of European Public Policy at George Mason University (Washington D.C.), 24 April 2012, Maastricht.
• “The EU needs a social investment pact”, Frank Vandenbroucke, Professor of Social Economic Analysis at the Catholic University of Leuven, 22 May 2012, Maastricht.