6 May
Geopolitics of Enlargement: Ukraine Strategy
This webinar will discuss current revisions of the EU approach to enlargement policy and the security implications for Ukraine and the neighborhoods
EU enlargement
Cultivating enlargement: How a green win in the European Parliament election could help the Western Balkans
The EU’s green agenda is threatened by a predicted surge to the far-right in the upcoming European Parliament election. Against this, mainstream candidates should remind voters that climate policy is not only necessary for decarbonisation, but an essential tool for EU enlargement
Separate to integrate: EU enlargement and the trouble with bilateral disputes
That EU enlargement is a geopolitical imperative is no longer in doubt. But to make enlargement happen, the EU may need to decouple bilateral disputes from the accession process
28 Mar
Rethinking & Reshaping: EU Enlargement in times of war
Russia’s war against Ukraine has prompted European policymakers to rethink their approach to enlargement. What form does this new approach take, what are the opportunities for EU and candidate countries, and what is the European Political Community’s role?
12 Mar
BERLIN-MADRID-PARIS-ROME Quadrilateral Dialogue – Europe in the post-US elections scenario
Building on the success and results of the 2023 Project “France-Italy-Germany Trilateral Dialogue: in Pursuit of a common agenda”, the 2024 Quadrilateral Project will continue to promote intra-European dialogue between capitals, extending last year’s trilateral format to Spain
Vetoing vetoes: EU integration in an uncertain world
The Orban saga highlights the need for more effective decision-making within the EU – especially now that enlargement is firmly back on the agenda
23 Jan
Re-Engaging with Neighbours in a State of War and Geopolitical Tensions
Russia’s war against Ukraine has radically altered European security. Confronted by the direst security crisis in decades, EU policymakers are forced to fundamentally rethink their…
Green enlargement: How the EU’s growth plan for the Western Balkans can promote climate action
The European Commission’s new support package for the Western Balkans could incentivise the reforms necessary both for EU membership and the green transition. But promoting climate action as a priority in the region will be far from straightforward
The over-reach risk: The unanswered questions of EU enlargement
There are three steps EU leaders must urgently take to prepare themselves for the enlargement process – starting by suspending Hungary’s voting rights
22 Jan
Europe debates: EU-Reform und Ukraine-Erweiterung
Die EU muss sich reformieren, bevor sie die Ukraine (und andere Beitrittskandidaten) aufnimmt – nur so verhindert sie totale Dysfunktionalität
Publications
Catch-27: The contradictory thinking about enlargement in the EU
A new power audit of member states’ positions on EU enlargement shows broad agreement that it is a geopolitical necessity, but major disagreements about how to prepare the EU. To make credible progress, EU member states need to agree on a roadmap that addresses their conflicting concerns at the European Council meeting in December
Partnership for Enlargement: A new way to integrate Ukraine and the EU’s eastern neighbourhood
Russia’s war on Ukraine means the EU must devise a new approach to its neighbourhood. It should establish a Partnership for Enlargement that offers Ukraine and other states concrete steps towards deeper integration.
Articles
Cultivating enlargement: How a green win in the European Parliament election could help the Western Balkans
The EU’s green agenda is threatened by a predicted surge to the far-right in the upcoming European Parliament election. Against this, mainstream candidates should remind voters that climate policy is not only necessary for decarbonisation, but an essential tool for EU enlargement
Separate to integrate: EU enlargement and the trouble with bilateral disputes
That EU enlargement is a geopolitical imperative is no longer in doubt. But to make enlargement happen, the EU may need to decouple bilateral disputes from the accession process
Vetoing vetoes: EU integration in an uncertain world
The Orban saga highlights the need for more effective decision-making within the EU – especially now that enlargement is firmly back on the agenda
Green enlargement: How the EU’s growth plan for the Western Balkans can promote climate action
The European Commission’s new support package for the Western Balkans could incentivise the reforms necessary both for EU membership and the green transition. But promoting climate action as a priority in the region will be far from straightforward
The over-reach risk: The unanswered questions of EU enlargement
There are three steps EU leaders must urgently take to prepare themselves for the enlargement process – starting by suspending Hungary’s voting rights
Letting Ukraine into the EU will reinforce, not undermine, Europe’s security
Many Europeans fail to realise that EU enlargement is the only way to counter Russia and China – but this week, leaders must act
The geopolitics of EU enlargement
The debate surrounding the EU’s potential expansion is no longer really about Ukraine and the Western Balkans. Enlargement is now an existential question with far-reaching implications for the EU and its ability to remain a prominent player in a rapidly changing global environment
Before it’s too late: How the EU should support the Western Balkans’ EU accession
With Russia’s war on Ukraine raging on its eastern border, EU enlargement in the Western Balkans has a new geopolitical urgency. The EU must commit to supporting their accession – and a fixed date like 2030 alongside a staged approach will add credibility to this commitment
Vision 2030: Four steps towards the new EU enlargement
It is time for the EU to burnish its foreign policy credentials by setting out concrete plans for the next round of enlargement
Wilder Europe: Enlargement and a European political community
A European political community would help candidates for EU membership resist outside pressure and enact democratic and economic reforms
Events
6 May
Geopolitics of Enlargement: Ukraine Strategy
This webinar will discuss current revisions of the EU approach to enlargement policy and the security implications for Ukraine and the neighborhoods
28 Mar
Rethinking & Reshaping: EU Enlargement in times of war
Russia’s war against Ukraine has prompted European policymakers to rethink their approach to enlargement. What form does this new approach take, what are the opportunities for EU and candidate countries, and what is the European Political Community’s role?
12 Mar
BERLIN-MADRID-PARIS-ROME Quadrilateral Dialogue – Europe in the post-US elections scenario
Building on the success and results of the 2023 Project “France-Italy-Germany Trilateral Dialogue: in Pursuit of a common agenda”, the 2024 Quadrilateral Project will continue to promote intra-European dialogue between capitals, extending last year’s trilateral format to Spain
23 Jan
Re-Engaging with Neighbours in a State of War and Geopolitical Tensions
Russia’s war against Ukraine has radically altered European security. Confronted by the direst security crisis in decades, EU policymakers are forced to fundamentally rethink their…
22 Jan
Europe debates: EU-Reform und Ukraine-Erweiterung
Die EU muss sich reformieren, bevor sie die Ukraine (und andere Beitrittskandidaten) aufnimmt – nur so verhindert sie totale Dysfunktionalität
12 Dec
How to convince the European public to enlarge the EU
This event will discuss new polling data of six key EU member states in the enlargement debate (Germany, France, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Romania) and reveal what voters think about the geopolitical imperative of EU enlargement
6 Dec
L’allargamento e il futuro dell’Unione europea
Secondo appuntamento di una serie di tre working lunch realizzati congiuntamente da ECFR Roma, SDA Bocconi e l’Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University
30 Nov
Uninterrupted support: What Ukraine needs from the EU in the Long War
Ahead of the European Council in December where accession talks with Ukraine are expected to be opened, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is…
In the media
It is crucial to use the current momentum and to decide to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina at the European Council later this week
Karoline Edtstadler says the EU must keep its promises
Engjellushe Morina comments on how the Ukraine war relaunched the EU expansion project
The credible enlargement process is the best answer to any third-party’s interference. It would be economically insane [for European countries] to look elsewhere.
Miroslav Lajčák comments on Moscow’s and Beijing’s interference in the Western Balkans
Although Serbs and Bosnians are among the largest minorities in Austria, public opinion remains reserved on the question of enlargement to the Balkans
ECFR’s poll on EU enlargement is quoted in Le Monde