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Copyright of Voluntaris: Journal of Volunteer Services & Civic Engagement / Zeitschrift für Freiwilligendienste und Zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The annual conference of the Institute for European Politics (IEP) in 2022 focused on overcoming the poly-crisis in Europe. Representatives from universities and think tanks discussed the future of Europe in terms of foreign policy, the rule of law, the economy, and climate policy. The conclusions of the conference varied, but everyone agreed that Europe is facing a turning point and that political decisions and possibly reforms are needed to address the current challenges. Germany must redefine its role in Europe and pursue a more progressive European policy. The annual conference also addressed the security and defense architecture in Europe and the role of the European Union (EU) in global security policy. It was emphasized that the EU must strengthen its presence as an actor in security policy, particularly in Africa. Cooperation with NATO was positively evaluated, and a scenario was outlined in which the EU is responsible for territorial defense while NATO takes on other areas such as energy or cyber security. Challenges such as the institutional design of EU security and defense policy and the consolidation of cooperation with NATO were discussed. The role of Germany and its announced "turning point" in security policy was also highlighted. [Extracted from the article]

At international climate conferences, the European Union (EU) and its member states both are negotiating partners. The EU signs the treaties to protect the climate, the member states ratify and translate them into national policy. Based on the literature on actorness, we identify different dimensions in which the EU's actor quality is articulated. Actorness has internal dimensions, such as the transfer of responsibilities, and external dimensions, such as the recognition as a contracting party by other states. Actorness, however, cannot be grasped by analysing institutions alone, but also arises discursively and situationally. We trace EU actorness for four critical points in time in international climate policy and can thus show that actorness in the policy field has increased overall over time, but that the full potential has not yet been exploited. In some dimensions, a temporary decline in actorness could be observed, especially at the Copenhagen summit. The analysis of actorness can also contribute to the explanation of a possible lack of effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fit for 55 package is the main project of European climate policy and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050. It includes measures such as expanding emissions trading, reducing energy consumption, and expanding renewable energies. Regulations for taxing electricity and energy products are also being introduced, and CO2 emissions from cars are to be reduced. Another component is the introduction of a border adjustment mechanism for energy-intensive basic materials. The European Commission has presented various proposals for environmental and climate policy, which have been discussed in the European Parliament. The implementation of the proposals is closely linked to investment programs to address the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, EU environmental and climate policy is influenced by different responsibilities and interests of the member states. [Extracted from the article]

The European Union's recovery plan, called NextGenerationEU, was agreed upon in spring 2021 to respond to the socio-economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Member states have created national plans that have been evaluated by the European Commission. Most countries have already received positive evaluations, while some have experienced delays. The plans include reforms and investments to achieve climate and digital policy goals. The European Commission is monitoring the implementation of the plans and expects them to potentially increase the EU's gross domestic product by up to 1.5 percent by 2024. [Extracted from the article]

The Yearbook of European Integration is a unique source of information on the latest developments in the European Union. It contains over 100 carefully selected and edited contributions from experts in their respective fields. This year's edition covers topics such as foreign and security policy, environmental and climate policy, energy policy, rule of law, crisis management, regional and cohesion policy, as well as domestic developments in various member states. The Yearbook also provides analyses of the EU's relationship with its neighboring countries, including the Eastern Partnership and the Western Balkan states. The project is carried out by the Institute for European Politics in cooperation with the Center for Applied Policy Research at the University of Munich and the Center for Turkey and EU Studies at the University of Cologne, and is supported by the Federal Foreign Office. [Extracted from the article]