UK in a changing Europe - Assessing UK membership of the EU: insights on influence and impact

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Insights from scholarship is only rarely brought to bear in public discussion or media coverage of the UK's place in the EU. As a consequence, comment is often uninformed, and important knowledge about the UK's influence on the EU, interaction between the UK and the EU, and the impact of EU action on UK policies and institutions is overlooked. Drawing on the applicant's research expertise, impact record, engagement experience and network of professional contacts in the UK and Brussels, this project proposes a programme of activities aimed at bringing research insights to international, national and regional audiences. It will provide evidence and analysis across the broad range of issues and policy areas affected by the UK's position in the EU, and thereby contribute towards the development of an authoritative and independent reference point for groups and individuals in search of high quality social scientific research on the UK's relationship with the EU, allowing debate about the UK's future to proceed on a more informed basis.The envisaged activities will address three main themes:- Getting its Own Way? The UK in Europe, which will assess the UK's record in securing its favoured outcomes- From Whitehall to Brussels: The UK's influence in EU institutions, which will focus on the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council of the European Union- Beyond the "Red Tape": EU regulation and the UK, which will examine the effects of EU rules on UK institutions, interests and policiesThe project will deliver outputs designed for a diverse range of audiences, using formats with which the applicant and his home department have considerable experience:- Research briefings to be posted on the ESRC 'UK in a Change Europe' website at King's College London for those in need of authoritative research-based information in relation to the above themes- Shorter briefings, written for the public, for quick reference on aspects of UK-EU relations- Short blogs for 'The UK in a Changing world', LSE 'European Politics and Policy' or 'Eastminister'- Press releases, where timely, on aspects of the three themes identified above to be disseminated by the UEA press office- An event in London on 'Reviewing the record: UK membership of the EU', held at the British Academy, for parliamentarians, businesses, NGOs, and embassy staff- An event in London on 'Reporting Europe: What the UK media does and does not communicate about Brussels', with a panel of representatives from academia, EU institutions, the UK diplomatic service and the media to discuss the role of the media in the UK's EU debate and to reflect on potential future developments, and aimed at journalists, civil servants, MPs, embassy staff, think-tanks and students- An event, 'The EU and its Member States: star pupils, good soldiers and awkward partners', to review changing relations between the EU and national elites- Meetings and seminars on the UK and Europe with think-tanks in London, Paris and Brussels- A briefing in London to members of the Labour Party, then offered to other parties- A workshop in Norwich, to be held at UEA, to which representatives of local public sector institutions, businesses, charities and other interest groups are invited- A panel discussion in Norwich, open to the public, bringing together representatives of the four main political parties to debate the UK and Europe with academic specialists, recorded for podcasting- Between four and six talks on the UK and the EU to sixth-formers in Schools and Colleges in the region The proposed project also includes a key international element. Using the applicant's network of contacts in the EU institutions, notably the Commission., the project will achieve impact by making presentations to senior staff on current debates in the UK concerning EU membership. Finally, the applicant will work closely with the Director and the other Senior Fellows.