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European Integration Institute, EII is an academic web-platform to provide scientists, decision-makers and the general public with an expert-updated information and knowledge on economic, political, legal and other issues of concern in contemporary level of European integration.
The EII is an independent, non-profit research, analytical and education facility being founded at the beginning of the XXI century following fundamental changes occurred after about seventy years of quite successful European integration’s process.
The new XXI century in the European integration started with the Nice Treaty (actually agreed upon in December 2000 and entered into force in February 2003), which in its supplement mentioned the “necessity to find new solutions” and instruments to successful European integration.
The common euphoria followed by the biggest ever enlargement by 10 new states in May 2004 and dramatic events connected with the then notorious “Constitution for Europe”, resulted in the preparation and adoption of the present EU’s “basic law” – the Lisbon Treaty as a new “amendment Treaty”, which has actually included in its text about 80 per cent of the previous “constitutional arrangements”.
Thus, the latest Treaties have not only “marked new stages” in the process of “creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe” based on the “united in diversity” principles; they have signified fundamental changes in the historic process of socio-economic integration making it “dispersed” among several newly emerging “integrational sub-unions”: e.g. digital and innovation, energy and banking, defense and education, to name a few, which would lead finally to a political union among the EU states.
These and other changes are often not easy to grasp and understand both for the lay people and decision-makers: it needs an expert analysis with adequate facilities for education and teaching involving all the new facets in European integration. Hence, assisting the education and training at all levels in the EU states’ universities and professional high schools is an integral part of the EII’s activities.
Besides, during last decades some new challenges appeared both globally and in Europe: e.g. sustainability and climate change, circular economy and digitalization, energy security and “green growth”, to name a few; they take the priority in the contemporary national governance to withstand any critical situations.
In short, these are the tasks that the EII puts as guiding principles in its work while concentrating on all the new circumstances which are taking place in European socio-economic integration process and in modern EU’s governance, as well as in the member states political economy.
Therefore the ultimate EII’s mission is to reveal to the readers the complexities of the modern stage of European integration and to explain the most optimal ways for the member states to tackle the enduring challenges involved in progressive socio-economic and political integration.
God blesses us all on these noble paths…