3. A Revived Roman Empire?

EU vows to shape globalisation

Having finally put six years of institutional wrangling behind it with last week's agreement on a new treaty, the 27-nation EU says it is now confident to face outside challenges. In December, EU leaders are expected to adopt a declaration, which should underline the bloc's change of priorities – moving from institutional matters towards issues such as globalisation and climate change. The union now has less than two months to agree a list of new priorities linked to globalisation and subsequently move on to agreeing the best political recipe for how to deal with the phenomenon. According to the European Commission, the EU should avoid being a passive spectator, but rather "shape" globalisation. In practice, it is promoting the so-called principle of reciprocity - meaning trading partners should open their markets as much as the EU does."We should be open, but not naive. We should not close our doors, rather we should encourage others to open theirs", commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said, suggesting that openness is a two-way street and that third countries should offer comparable levels of openness to EU exporters and investors.

Council of 10-12 wise men to help determine future of Europe?

EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn has dismissed a French idea to set up a wise committee to debate the future of Europe, including further enlargement, as not convincing. "As to the famous idea of setting up a wise men's group to ponder the EU's future in 2020-2030, I am not sure if I am convinced of its added value", said Mr Rehn during a European Liberals congress in Berlin on Thursday. French president Nicolas Sarkozy in August suggested that an independent body be set up to discuss where Europe is heading – something he made a condition for Paris not blocking Turkey's EU membership talks. The suggestion has so far been treated with caution by EU officials who wonder whether it will be able to bring new insights and whether it will be used to put a brake on further enlargement, notably Ankara's EU aspirations. For his part, Mr Rehn said that there was probably "no reason to fear such a group". "If it is really composed of wise men – and women, as it must – I am sure that they will see that enlargement is not the problem but rather a vital part of the solution to many problems that the EU will face in the coming decades", the commissioner stated, citing energy security, climate change, cross-border crime and ageing populations among the EU's future challenges. In these and other areas, the integration of Turkey and the countries of the Western Balkans will only help the EU "manage the challenges ahead effectively", said the Finnish commissioner. Mr Sarkozy would like the "wise men committee" to be set up during the December meeting of EU heads of state and government and to report back some time in the first half of 2009, before the European elections in June of that year. It is still not clear who the 10 to 12 people sitting in this committee would be, but the general idea has already received the backing of German chancellor Angela Merkel. Last month Ms Merkel offered support for the proposal on the condition that the group, while discussing enlargement, does not focus "exclusively" on Turkey.