What lessons can we draw from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how can we find sustainable answers to urgent societal questions? Prof. Dr. Tim Büthe from the Chair of International Relations at HfP participated in the CEPS Ideas Lab 2024 by invitation from the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS). The aim of the event was to explore new policy ideas. Hence, Büthe engaged in discussions with numerous representatives from the EU Commission, the European Parliament, European governments, the business sector, and various civil society groups and academic experts.

"Many urgent societal problems can only be solved collectively at the European or international level," Büthe emphasizes. "For instance, we must increase the recovery of critical raw materials for the energy transition. It is the only way to reduce political risks associated with China's monopoly position and political instability in many countries where essential raw materials are extracted." Büthe also sees a necessity for more resilient European industrial systems to withstand crises. This concerns a rapidly production and the cross-border delivery of scarce goods. When the next pandemic hits, which experts expect within 20 to 30 years, the production and delivery of scarce goods needs to be rapidly expandable and assured across Europe.

The CEPS Ideas Lab brings together more than eight hundred representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, national governments, business and society as well as a multi-disciplinary group of scientific experts.  It is organized by CEPS with a number of European partners and sponsors – for the 11th time in 2024. The main topics of this year's meeting were the elections to the European Parliament; Green Transition and Energy; Health; Innovation; the Governance of Artificial Intelligence; Fair Taxation, Corporate Governance and Labor Markets; Trade; Justice & Home Affairs; the Future of the EU; and "the EU & the World".