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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) 2019 Finnish Pre-Presidency Conference

Thursday June 6th, 2019

The Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), in cooperation with Trans-European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), is organizing the TEPSA 2019 Finnish Pre-Presidency Conference.

Finland will assume the Presidency of the EU Council on 1 July 2019. The third Finnish Council Presidency will take place right after the EU elections, and it will coincide with the process of making the EU’s top appointments and agreeing on the key political priorities of the EU’s five-year institutional cycle. Finland’s own presidency priorities will be finalized by the new government in the making.

The aim of the TEPSA Pre-Presidency Conference is to provide sound assessment, analysis and advice on topical issues facing the EU in general and the Council Presidency in particular. In this context, the conference will address themes and topics such as the Future of Europe in light of EU elections, EU defence in the changing security policy landscape and the Finnish Presidency priorities. Other key topics (inter alia) include Growth and Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the future of EU-Africa relations, and the EU’s Arctic endeavour. Andreas Raspotnik will speak on the topic, together with Adam Stepien from the Arctic Center, University of Lapland, and Jari Vilen, Senior Adviser for Arctic Policy, European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC), European Commission.

TEPSA is the first transeuropean research network in the field of European affairs. It consists of leading research institutes in the field of European affairs throughout Europe. The TEPSA Pre-Presidency Conference is held twice a year in the capital of the country assuming the rotating EU Council Presidency.

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