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Das Jahrzehnt der Krisen -- Wirtschaftlich schwächelndes Europa -- Globalisierung und Migration im Wechselspiel -- Migrationspolitik der EU zwischen Abwehr und Integration -- Gibt es eine "europäische Identität"? -- Nationaler Populismus als Ideologie und Methode -- Die EU auf dem Weg zur Konsolidierung? -- COVID-19 deckt viele Schwächen der EU auf -- Welche Zukunft hat die EU?.

Das Jahrzehnt der Krisen -- Wirtschaftlich schwächelndes Europa -- Globalisierung und Migration im Wechselspiel -- Migrationspolitik der EU zwischen Abwehr und Integration -- Gibt es eine "europäische Identität"? -- Nationaler Populismus als Ideologie und Methode -- Die EU auf dem Weg zur Konsolidierung? -- COVID-19 deckt viele Schwächen der EU auf -- Welche Zukunft hat die EU?.

Based on an insufficiently consolidated "European identity", the European Union has recently been exposed to the challenges of globalisation, financial disturbances, migration and populistic nationalism, Brexit, and the COVID 19 virus. The negative consequences of these somehow interrelated phenomena have to some extent been kept in check but are likely to be dwarfed by the looming threat of climate change. The present analysis underlines the added value of European integration, but also dampens illusions about the future of the Union. Although the crises seem to have strengthened the solidarity among the core of the EU, differences between member states have also become more apparent, as exemplified by the Brexit. The goal of a full-fledged political union is now a long way off, and it is therefore worth aiming for secondbest solutions, such as some form of differentiated further integration. The ongoing Conference on the Future of Europe offers the opportunity for an evaluation of such concepts.

The paper provides an overview of the development of public procurement (PP) rules in the EU and in selected international organisations. The EU rules were originally designed to foster competition and efficiency, and the dominant award criterion was the price. Over time, and in particular in the context of the "EU 2020" strategy, PP rules have been extended to address not only economic objectives, but also social and environmental goals as well as innovation aspects. As a result, such "strategic" elements of PP have in 2014 been legalised by the new EU Procurement Directives. However, as long as strategic PP remains an isolated policy, it will have only limited ramifications on Community-wide sustainability. Strategic PP should rather complement sustainability policies in their respective areas and should thus become an integral part of overall EU policies.