On 17 November, 13 students of the Transparency Group, selected among all of the Departments of the College of Europe, met 2 members of staff of Transparency International EU (TI EU), Mr Leo HOFFMANN-AXTHELM, Research and Advocacy Coordinator; and Mr Yannik BENDEL, EU Policy Officer. The meeting was opened by Professor Olivier COSTA, Director of the Department of European Political and Administrative Studies of the College of Europe, who presented the objectives of this renewed partnership between the College and Transparency International. After recalling what was achieved the year before by students of the Chopin Promotion, he gave the floor to Mr HOFFMANN-AXTHELM and Mr BENDEL who presented the activities of Transparency International, and Transparency International EU in particular, to students of the Keynes promotion. Some key areas (EU Money and Politics; Financial flows and crimes; EU in the world) were identified as possible topics of research and collaboration with the Transparency Group. Students then made short presentations on the four potential topics on which they will likely draft their policy briefs with the help and assistance of TI EU:
- Comitology and the European Parliament: subject to enough public scrutiny?
- Public investments: major projects financing
- The financing of political parties
- The external aspect of the fight against corruption
After receiving general feedback on the best way to produce these drafts, students of the Transparency Group agreed with staff of TI EU that their first outlines should be accomplished by the end of the year and should be the basis of the workshops and conferences that will be organized in Bruges in the upcoming semester. 10 March 2017 was chosen as the date of the first conference that will be launched by the Transparency Group.