Category Archives: Publications

This page lists all our publications, of all types, from all our work areas. List entries show excerpts of introductory text; click on post titles to view the full entry.

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Around Europe 349 – February/March 2013

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img-ae349-febmar-2013In this issue of Around Europe, Programme Assistant Bethany Squire asks how we might define the ‘green economy’. She takes us through some prominent definitions, then highlights some ideas of her own. Joint Representative Alexandra Bosbeer discusses the dangers of fracking, a technique used to extract natural gas which could be quite risky. Joint Representative Gordon Matthews asks if David Cameron knows what he is doing after the UK Prime Minister’s recent speech on renegotiating the UK’s position with Europe. Programme Assistant Chris Venables looks back at some of the first issue of Around Europe and compares the policy debates on terrorism in a new series on ‘Now and Then’.

Click here to download the PDF. (478kb)

QCEA submission to EU consultation on fracking

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Consultation response on fracking (alternative fossil fuels, or shale gas) in Europe In February 2011, citing needs for jobs, growth and European competitiveness, the European Council called for an examination of the environmental effects of hydrofracking. Hydrofracking is a method of harvesting gas held in impermeable rocks or coal. To … More…

Around Europe 348 – December 2012 / January 2013

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img-ae-348-DecJan-2013In this issue of Around Europe, Joint Representative Gordon Matthews discusses the European Union’s (EU) research programme for 2014 to 2020, ‘Horizon 2020′. QCEA is supporting an amendment to the rules of participation which would make it more difficult for entities with questionable human rights records to receive EU funding. Programme Assistant Chris Venables describes the workings of one of the institutions of the EU, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Ireland has now taken over the Presidency for the first half of 2013, and Chris suggests there is not enough focus on green issues. Joint Representative Alexandra Bosbeer outlines the importance of comprehensive assessment of large scale infrastructure projects. By taking into account the impact of a project from its beginning to its end we can make more informed decisions about what is (and what is not) sustainable.

You can download the PDF by clicking here.

Consultation Response: Ensuring Sustainable Development Globally

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The Directorate General for Environment of the European Commission held a public consultation on Ensuring Sustainable Development Globally. The consultation aimed to gather views on how the European Union should follow up on the commitments that it has made to sustainable development. Questions related to issues such as the Green Economy and … More…

Consultation response: European Investment Bank energy lending

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The European Investment Bank asked stakeholders to respond to an issues paper with a number of questions. The EIB website stated they sought “to solicit views and input from a wide array of stakeholders that are involved in the energy sector and can bring valuable expertise to the review of … More…

Around Europe 347 – November 2012

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November’s edition of our monthly newsletter: Programme Assistant Bethany Squire explains how QCEA communicates with the wider world, explaining our social media and web presence as well as how to subscribe to our newsletter and publications. Alexandra Bosbeer asks if we are ‘cutting ourselves off from Mother Earth’, and Chris Venables highlights the need for better protection for defence rights across the EU.

You can download November’s edition by clicking here. (PDF – 3Mb)

Around Europe 346 – October 2012

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This is the first Around Europe following the change in staff here at QCEA. Programme Assistant Bethany Squire asks if Europe is setting the bar too low when deciding upon climate change targets. She writes an article entitled ‘Plotting Europe’s Route to a Sustainable Future’. Chris Venables is critical of a recent European Commission Working Document which outlines how introducing military drone technology in to the civilian market might stimulate growth across Europe. We say goodbye to Liz Scurfield and Martina Weitsch after 10 years of hard work and service.

You can download this October edition of Around Europe by clicking here. (2.78Mb)

Around Europe 345 – September 2012

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In this edition of Around Europe QCEA Joint Representative Martina Weitsch discusses what we can learn from Europe’s history of peacebuilding – in light of the European Union (EU) winning the Nobel Prize it’s a very interesting article indeed. Liz Scurfield gives us an update on developments within the Council of Europe on alternatives to imprisonment, and a brief description of recent changes in the EU-Israel relationship.

You can download September’s Around Europe in PDF format by clicking here. (1.2Mb)

We try as often as we can and when opportunities present themselves to make Around Europe available in other languages. Martina Weitsch’s article, ‘Europe: A Peace Process or a Peace Project?’ which appeared in this month’s edition is available in French in PDF by clicking here.

Briefing paper: EU Trade with Israeli Settlements

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The EU plays a significant economic role in both Israel and Palestine. QCEA are currently working for an import ban on EU trade with Israeli settlements as we are aware that settlement produce is routinely mislabeled to gain access to the EU market at preferential tax rates reserved for Israeli goods within … More…