The new frontiers of Europe

Borders mark the geographical perimeter within which sovereignty, traditionally that of the State, is expressed. The construction of Europe has been accompanied by a twofold movement to reduce the borders between the nations involved and to create a common border with the rest of the world. But this border of the European Union remains particularly shifting due to the institutional dynamics and the evolution of its geographical perimeter. The members of the session will be invited to analyse what characterises Europe’s borders today, drawing in particular on the relations that Europeans have with each other and with the rest of the world in terms of governance, security, trade, migration, etc. The session will also examine the role of the European Union in the field of security and defence. Sixty years ago, J.F. Kennedy proposed a new frontier for America based on the conquest of space, the advent of peace and the eradication of poverty. The members of the session will reflect symmetrically on what Europe’s “new frontiers” could be in 2020.