Europe must shape debate on global issues

Now that the Lisbon treaty is more or less in the bag, the mantra in Brussels is: focus on the European Union's interests and objectives and end the navel-gazing about institutional structures. But the evidence from a recent discussion about ‘Exploiting Europe's Strong Potential – Governance Institutions and Policies', a paper from London's Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) suggests that it will be impossible for the EU to escape debate on how Europe's institutions go about their business, especially when it comes to issues like changing the terms on which a country can qualify for membership of the single currency.