MES 2018: 4 July - 5 July 2018

Registration, Lunch & Networking

at BMW Welt

The panel on “The Role and Competitiveness of Europe in a New World Order” will focus on issues spanning globalisation, international trade and migration, trends towards protectionism, the development in European neighbourhood regions and the EU’s future role in all of these areas. The panel will also discuss the implications of Brexit, a new form of transatlantic relationship, and the ongoing rise of China and the Far East for Europe’s future global role and its competitiveness.

The panel on “The Future Role of the EU: Europe as Ever Closer Union?” will focus on the internal constitution, the (dis)integration process, as well as the EU’s future role in promoting greater European cohesion, prosperity, and the closer union of people. The issues to be addressed will span the impact of UK’s decision to leave the EU, the challenge of ongoing migration pressures, the rise of “anti-EU” movements and political parties, expectations of Eastern European member states, and the future role of the EU in labour market, social and fiscal policy, as well as market regulations in Europe.

at Munich Residence

The panel on “Europe and the Digital Economy” will focus on the competitiveness of Europe’s economy in a digital world. The discussion will cover issues related to the effect of digitalisation on the economy and the labour market, regulations and taxation, promoting digital start-ups, and the EU’s role in all of these areas.

The success or failure of the European Union depends heavily on the future development of the Eurozone. While the Eurozone is gradually recovering from a long crisis, Eurosceptic voices and movements persist in some parts of Europe. It is indeed questionable whether the architecture of the Eurozone is sustainable and would survive another economic or political crisis. Currently, representatives of European governments and the EU are actively discussing a reform agenda for the Eurozone, including ideas like the introduction of a European Minister of Finance, a European Monetary Fund, and new budgetary instruments.

The panel will discuss what reform and future governance of the euro area should look like in order to achieve a sustainable and incentive-compatible architecture, prosperous development and greater cohesion among its members. The panel will address questions like: are the euro area and the European financial sector stabilised and sustainable – where do we stand? How can the fiscal discipline of sovereigns be strengthened? Do we need more elements of risk-sharing or a focus on risk reduction? How can risk-sharing and market-discipline be reconciled with achieving an incentive-compatible architecture in the currency union? Should the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) be transformed into a European Monetary Fund? Does the currency union need an exit clause and viable insolvency procedure for its member states? How should TARGET-II imbalances be managed in the future?