The 2019 UK General Election: Towards a Brexit Catharsis? Egmont European Policy Brief No. 58 December 2019

On 12 December 2019, UK voters confront another choice whether to advance Brexit or not. More than three years after the referendum, all issues have been scrutinized and the collective effort that Brexit requires has become clear. Apart from involving the public in the most momentous choice in the orientation of UK foreign policy in decades, the general election provides a useful opportunity for the UK and the EU to take stock of the shortfalls of their negotiating strategies and to contemplate future scenarios. The UK and the EU have a common interest in maintaining a cooperative relationship whilst they search for ways to address the democratic demands they both face

Measuring Sparticles with the Matrix Element

We apply the Matrix Element Method (MEM) to mass determination of squark pair production with direct decay to quarks and LSP at the LHC, showing that simultaneous mass determination of squarks and LSP is possible. We furthermore propose methods for inclusion of QCD radiation effects in the MEM.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the proceedings of SUSY09, the 17th International Conference on Supersymmetry and the Unification of Fundamental Interactions. Figures replaced (corrected y axis labels

Endorsing Brexit or Preparing for ‘No Deal’? A Belgian Perspective. Egmont European Policy Brief No. 53, November 2018

What are we to make of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration outlining the future relationship between the EU and the UK? This European Policy Brief explores the current state of the Brexit debate from a Belgian perspective. While the Brexit deal deserves to be welcomed, domestic politics continue to act as a bottleneck. Whether or not the Withdrawal Agreement obtains parliamentary approval, Belgian authorities would do well to stay alert and prepare for multiple potential outcome

Fostering Belgo-German Connectivity in the Heart of Europe. Egmont European Policy Brief No. 55

On 18 March 2019 the fifth edition of the Belgo-German Conference took place in Brussels. Framed around the inter-related themes of energy, mobility and digitalization, the conference sought to provide a platform for dialogue between political leaders, diplomatic officials, and representatives from the private sector, academia and civil society. This European Policy Brief aims to illuminate the major topics that were discussed at the conference and put these into a wider context. The umbrella theme of connectivity in infrastructure speaks to the common ambition that Belgium and Germany share: propelling the European project forward – even when facing headwinds – by embracing increased economic interdependence

The Matrix Element Method and QCD Radiation

The matrix element method (MEM) has been extensively used for the analysis of top-quark and W-boson physics at the Tevatron, but in general without dedicated treatment of initial state QCD radiation. At the LHC, the increased center of mass energy leads to a significant increase in the amount of QCD radiation, which makes it mandatory to carefully account for its effects. We here present several methods for inclusion of QCD radiation effects in the MEM, and apply them to mass determination in the presence of multiple invisible particles in the final state. We demonstrate significantly improved results compared to the standard treatment.Comment: 15 pp; v2: references and some clarifications added; v3: discussion of NLO effects, version published in PR

New Pact for Europe - National Report - BELGIUM. EPC Report May 2017

Foreword. This report is inspired by the discussions of the BELGIAN National Reflection Group enriched by exchanges with National Reflection Groups from FINLAND and SLOVAKIA. It reflects on the ‘state of the Union’ from a national perspective and discusses the main challenges the EU and its members are facing, taking into account both the European and national perspective. Finally, it proposes ideas and recommendations on how the EU and its members should react to these main challenges and sets out how the EU and European integration should develop in the years to come. This paper is part of a series of ten national reports. These reports and the debates in the member states will provide a solid basis for the discussions in the NPE European Reflection Group. The latter will be asked to take the reflection a step further through in-depth and thorough discussions at the European level. The Advisory Group chaired by Herman Van Rompuy will provide input into this process. All these reflections will lead to a final NPE report that analyses the current ‘state of the Union’ and contains several proposals on how to re-energise the European project. It will be published at the end of 2017

Why Belgium Needs a Special Operations Command. Security Policy Brief No. 70, April 2016

The setting up of a Special Operations Command (SOCOM) constitutes a key element of the ongoing Belgian defence reforms. This Policy Brief aims to put the present demand for special operations forces in its historical context and engage in the discussion on how to structure and employ this special instrument of policy. Building on the legacy of the paracommando regiment, the future Belgian SOCOM constitutes a critical capability within an adaptive force structure. This new entity must be able to deliver results in a variety of unconventional missions that require high readiness, intellectual flexibility and maximum discretion or surprise. At the same time, special operations forces do not constitute a substitute for having a comprehensive security policy. They function best when used as force multipliers alongside other instruments of power towards joint effect. As the proverbial tip of the spear, they must lead the way for Belgian defence regeneration in general

The resurgence of bilateral diplomacy in Europe. Egmont Paper 104, January 2019

As the conduct of international relations is changing in tone, bilateral diplomacy is back in vogue. This trend does not leave the European continent unaffected: intergovernmental bargaining is on the rise. Many EU member state capitals make good use of their diplomatic network across the continent to better understand what other member states aspire to achieve, and to promote their own voice within the European system. This Egmont Paper seeks to shed conceptual clarity on the resurgence of bilateral diplomacy in Europe. Firstly, it argues that in the absence of multilateral successes, bilateral approaches constitute the fall-back position for structuring the international system. Secondly, it explains in what ways bilateral networks add political depth to intra-European relationships. Thirdly, it addresses the question whether the revival of bilateralism in Europe inevitably undermines supranational institutions. It concludes one must appreciates the conspicuous complementarity between the two approaches: bilateralism and multilateralism may well alternate in prominence, but can also reinforce one another. By way of postscript, it considers the implications this analysis entails for Belgium’s diplomatic posture