Advisory request European Solidarity
Advisory process on European solidarity
A number of serious political crises within the EU in recent years have involved questions of solidarity and burden-sharing. Examples include the debt crisis in and support for Greece which began in 2010, the migration crisis and the fair distribution of asylum seekers, decision-making on vaccines and recovery funds during the COVID pandemic, the energy crisis, and support for Ukraine. Calls for ‘solidarity’ have often given rise to tensions between member states.
Why should Poland have to pay for the reception of asylum seekers in Italy? Or why should Spain reduce its energy usage in order to help out Germany in the energy crisis? In the months and years ahead, such questions will also colour the intra-European debate on issues like asylum, the economy, the climate and Ukraine. In various member states and among a segment of the general public, there is a wish for a more socially minded Europe, for example with a ‘Pillar of Social Rights’ (cf. the Porto declaration of the European Council, May 2021).
The Netherlands has long had reservations about such policies, fearing that they could result in the introduction of European mechanisms funded on the basis of member states’ ability to pay, or that the system could be exploited (‘moral hazard’). At the same time, there are situations in which the Netherlands expects solidarity from other member states, such as the reception of asylum seekers. The question that this advisory report seeks to answer is: how can we deal with this broad landscape of conflicting forces?
The AIV is drafting this report on its own initiative, in the run-up to the European elections in 2024. The subject of European solidarity had already been included in the AIV’s work programme for 2023-2025.
Approach
The report will be drawn up by a drafting group consisting of members of the European Integration Committee. The committee will examine both primary and secondary sources and interview various experts.
Schedule
The AIV aims to release the report in the spring of 2024.
Contact
If you have any questions about this advisory process, please contact the executive secretary of the European Integration Committee, Sabine Visser.