In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 10), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by Fabio Santeramo, Part-time Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre and Head of the Agriculture Area at the Florence School of Regulation. The trio examines how climate policy and global trade are reshaping the future of European agriculture.
The conversation opens with the EU’s recent food trade surplus and what it signals about Europe’s position in global agricultural markets. Does strong export performance reflect confidence in the EU’s ESG standards, or do sustainability frameworks still struggle to deliver meaningful change on the ground?

Drawing on Fabio’s Policy Brief, the discussion turns to the evolving landscape of agricultural emissions pricing – from the political sensitivities surrounding a dedicated ETS for agriculture to the challenges of extending “polluter pays” principles to food systems. They also consider the leverage of the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU’s largest funding instrument, and whether reforming its incentives may prove more effective than introducing new regulatory obligations.
Finally, the hosts and Fabio confront the major structural questions: the environmental impact of livestock, the pressures on land use and biodiversity, and whether future food systems can be sustainable without more transformative shifts in production and consumption. The episode also touches on emerging innovations such as cell-based meat and what they might mean for Europe’s path forward. Recorded in September 2025.
Read the full Policy Brief from Fabio here: https://cadmus.eui.eu/entities/publication/45bb0ee6-f272-5055-8aaf-a5b8bef37148

In the EU, national regulatory authorities are meant to act without political interference — but how independent are they really? In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 9), hosts Leonardo Meeus and Emma Menegatti sit down with FSR part-time Professor Kaisa Huhta to discuss the evolving definition of regulators’ independence in the EU.

Drawing on Kaisa Huhta’s recent Policy Brief, the discussion examines why regulators’ independence matters, how recent European Court of Justice rulings have tested its boundaries, and what these cases mean for the future framework of energy regulation in Europe. Recorded in October 2025. Read the policy brief: https://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/92830

In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 8), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone reflect on Ursula von der Leyen’s 2025 State of the Union address and on the conference marking one year since the Draghi report, where Leo took part in a panel of experts.

The conversation revisits Draghi’s diagnosis of Europe’s competitiveness challenges and considers how it holds up in today’s shifting geopolitical and economic context. They explore progress under the Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal, particularly efforts to reduce energy prices, and assess the priorities for the year ahead. The hosts also examine von der Leyen’s call to accelerate the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels, the role of electrification in driving down costs and improving the security of supply, and her proposals for more flexible EU funding and decision-making.

Finally, they reflect on how these policy directions relate to Europe’s values and the consistency of the EU’s agenda in a global context marked by instability elsewhere. Recorded in September 2025.

In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 7), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone speak with Mira Tiwari from the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies about how the EU’s evolving approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies is impacting value chains in the Global South.

Mira breaks down what “Global North” and “Global South” really mean in today’s context, and why the Global South’s agency is often undervalued in international ESG decision-making. Together, the group explores:

– How representation in ESG bodies can affect outcomes

– Why Global South participation in the policymaking process is crucial for successful implementation

– The potential tensions between commercial interests and ESG priorities

– What the EU’s recent regulatory changes signal for global cooperation

Drawing on Mira’s recent co-authored article, the discussion highlights key policy recommendations for improving ESG governance worldwide. Recorded in May 2025.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environment-and-development-economics/article/reforming-esg-a-european-and-global-south-perspective/1323446BCF29A503EFA4E361ADBE0CCD

In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 5), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone sit down with the Director of the FSR Transport area, Juan Montero. The group explore how and why contracts for railway services are tendered in the EU, which parts of the network are profitable, which require subsidies, and how various Member States approach these contracts differently.

Drawing from Juan’s recent Policy Brief, the discussion addresses the policy implications of why the EU is encouraging more tendering, issues conducting tenders, and how they can be resolved. Recorded in April 2025. https://cadmus.eui.eu/entities/publication/e7adec46-9f7c-5f68-851f-906ee8994ec9

In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 4), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone sit down with FSR Research Associate Elodie Petrozziello to explore how European transport networks are evolving and why urban nodes are key to their successful modernisation.

Drawing from Elodie’s recent Policy Brief, the discussion covers the updated TEN-T regulation, fresh approaches to transport governance, and insights from the ‘Florence Intermodal Forum’. The episode also highlights real-world examples of urban nodes – some leading the way, others falling short. Recorded in April 2025. Read the policy brief: https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/77172

The ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ Season 2 episode 2 covers “TEN-E”, the EU policy for planning and building cross-border energy networks, in light of the Draghi reports recommendations. In particular, it explores the TEN-E’s past achievements, its current role, and potential areas for improvement. For this episode, hosts Leonardo Meeus and Emma Menegatti are joined by Catharina Sikow-Magny from the Florence School of regulation. The conversation builds on Catharina’s recently published Policy Brief, “Making TEN-E into a truly European project”.

The Draghi report identifies energy network investments as critical to Europe. However, the group discussed how it fails to fully acknowledge the already existing TEN-E framework in its recommendations. The discussion moreover explored the different routes for improvement including EU funding mechanisms, regional coordination, and permitting processes.

See below for a link to the original Policy Brief
https://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/77413

Making Capacity Markets Work for Energy Security and Market Efficiency
In the first episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase – Season 2, hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by Emma Menegatti (FSR) to explore how capacity markets in the European electricity sector can be streamlined for better security of supply and market efficiency. Building on Emma’s recent Policy Brief, the discussion unpacks the fundamentals of capacity mechanisms—what they are, why they matter, and the key reforms underway. The episode also highlights how relaxing cross-border requirements could enhance their effectiveness.
See below for a link to the original Policy Brief:
https://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/77492