Conference on the State of the Union

About a year after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, Europe is wondering about its ongoing operations and future prospects.
The new treaty was aimed at improving the functioning of EU institutions by providing the tools to operate effectively in 27 or more Member States. It was believed that with these tools, the EU would be well-equipped to face the challenges of globalisation, with particular reference to the recent financial crisis.
In this regard, it is worth quoting a statement (dated 1954 but still valid!) by Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of a united Europe: "Our countries have become too small for today's world, when compared to the potential of modern technical means and in relation to the greatness of America and Russia today, China and India tomorrow".
The Conference on the State of the Union consisted of two days of meetings (9th - 10th of May 2011) at the highest level to analyse the state of progress of these goals. The initiative has been welcomed by the Community institutions: President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and others have participated. Each working day focused on a topic and has consisted of two panel discussions and a "smart" formula, which enabled rapid intervention and the use of multimedia. The meetings were held at Palazzo Vecchio.

• Watch the interviews to the speakers on YouTube
• Read each member's biography
• Speakers’ Presentations
• Discussion Summary of the Conference on the State of Union in the framework of the Festival d'Europa (Florence 6-10 May)
• VIDEO RECORDING of the State of the Union Conference, Florence, Palazzo Vecchio, 9-10 May, 2011