The third annual EU Integration Forum (EUIF), organised by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, will be held in Prague on November 14-15 2013. As Europe looks to its younger generation of decision-makers to provide the leadership and vision so desperately needed to meet the challenges confronting it, the EUIF brings together young political decision-makers from Member States and all levels of government to discuss those challenges and to create an EU-wide network of young leaders and thinkers committed to helping shape the Union's future.

The overarching theme of this year’s EUIF is the European Union’s role in a rapidly changing world order. What role can and should the EU play in the globalised world of the 21st century? Can it convince its partners that it is ready, willing and able to play its part in addressing the many global challenges we face, despite its recent difficulties? What will the consequences be for the EU, its Member States, cities and regions if it fails to do so?

We are thrilled that the third EU Integration Forum will be held under the patronage of Baroness Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission. We are also delighted to announce, that Jiří Schneider, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic will welcome this year's participants at the pre-conference dinner on November 14th in the historic New Town Hall.

On November 15th, the discussions will be inspired by a broad variety of “insider’s” and “outsider’s” perspectives on the EU. Among others, Thomas Wright (Fellow at the Brookings Institution in the “Managing Global Order” project, United States of America), Amalija Koren (Member of the City Council of Varaždin and former Vice-President of ECOSY, Croatia) and Prof. Dr. Atila Eralp (Director of the Center for European Studies at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey) will kick-start the Forum’s lively, interactive discussions with inspiring and thought-provoking contributions.

We would be very grateful if you would support the Forum by spreading word of the event through your networks and by encouraging colleagues to participate. Potential participants will, ideally, be 20-40 years old; 'rising stars' in their country/political party/government with clear leadership potential; and committed to debating EU issues and helping to shape the EU's future in a transnational, transregional, interdisciplinary and outcome-oriented dialogue.

Potential participants are invited to apply to attend the EU Integration Forum via the event’s online community www.euif.eu.
Please contact Ms. Marion Müller vom Berge marion.mueller-vom-berge@ifok.de  of IFOK GmbH, which is implementing the EUIF on behalf of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, should you have any further enquiries.