Making the EU Happen

Daniel Kaddik | 3rd August 2021 | Brussels
european union

Daniel Kaddik, Executive Director of the European Liberal Forum, argues for a concrete European roadmap for action addressing all the complexities of modern challenges facing the continent.

This article is the first of a series of eight introducing the Liberal White Book: Europe 2030, the European Liberal Forum's flagship publication highlighting the challenges that the EU faces and presenting a range of future policy options.  What is the European Union? What should it be? These questions are not only controversial, they also lack clear answers. Without these, the EU has evolved without ever following a grand design. As such, it has become an organisation that is constantly shifting in response to ever-changing challenges. Origins The Union began as a post-war project aiming to keep national aggressions and egoisms in check by integrating European economies. 70 years – and several crises – later, the EU of today includes almost the entirety of Europe and influences all aspects of European political life - from trade to social issues, foreign affairs to digitalisation, and health to space exploration. Crucially, EU policymakers now set the all-encompassing agenda and over...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Davos 2026 in the Age of Power Politics

William Cash | January 20, 2026

Davos is meant to be the place where the global public affairs class can compress a year of stakeholder management into five days, with a badge, a diary,

Bayer Poised to Gain as EU Relaxes Rules on Gene Edited Crops

Mace | January 10, 2026

Bayer’s crop science ambitions gain momentum as the EU eases regulation of gene edited plants, opening pathways for agricultural innovation

New EU rules to streamline chemical safety assessments take effect

Mace | January 8, 2026

New EU rules aim to speed up and align chemical safety assessments, reducing duplication between agencies while maintaining health and environmental protections

US Bars Former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton in Escalating Tech Regulation Row

Mace | December 29, 2025

Washington imposes travel bans on Thierry Breton and others, deepening transatlantic tensions over online regulation, free speech and tech rules.

Brussels Opens EU Arctic Policy Review With Public Consultation

Mace | December 29, 2025

The European Commission launches a public consultation to update EU Arctic policy amid climate pressures and rising geopolitical stakes.

China slaps dairy levies of up to 42.7 percent on EU exports

Mace | December 23, 2025

Beijing imposes provisional anti subsidy duties on EU dairy products, deepening trade tensions and hitting exporters across the bloc

Germany calls for overhaul of EU foreign subsidy rules

Mace | December 23, 2025

Berlin urges a full rethink of EU foreign subsidy controls, warning current rules impose heavy burdens and risk harming investment.

EU Council signs off delay and simplification of deforestation law

Mace | December 23, 2025

EU governments approve targeted revisions delaying the deforestation regulation, easing compliance demands while keeping core environmental safeguards in place

EU moves to expand carbon border levy to shut loopholes in polluting imports

Mace | December 19, 2025

Brussels plans to widen its carbon border levy, targeting downstream goods and loopholes to prevent carbon leakage and protect EU industry

EU Council backs tougher steel trade shield as overcapacity fears mount

Mace | December 16, 2025

EU governments back tougher steel import limits, opening talks with Parliament on new rules to counter global overcapacity pressures facing