Seminar
Details
Participation at the event only upon personal invitation
This workshop marks the conclusion of the Central Europe Plus series, which has explored key regional challenges across Europe. Previous workshops focused on energy cooperation (May 2024, in Trakošćan, Croatia), connectivity (June 2024, in Burgas, Bulgaria), and European security architecture (November 2024, in Vienna, Austria). As the final event in this series, the Brussels workshop addresses the critical nexus between security and EU enlargement policy—highlighting how strategic integration and geopolitical stability must go hand in hand in the Union’s approach to its neighborhood. The main aim is to create an exchange between Central European experts´´ perspectives on the topic and decision-makers in Brussels.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has profoundly reshaped the geopolitical landscape of Europe and revitalized the European Union’s enlargement policy. For the first time in nearly two decades, enlargement is no longer treated as a purely technocratic process but as a strategic necessity. The granting of candidate status to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, alongside renewed attention to the Western Balkans, reflects a significant shift in both political will and security thinking within the EU.
At the same time, this new momentum comes with long-standing challenges. The Western Balkans region remains entangled in structural reform deficits and unresolved bilateral disputes. Eastern candidate countries face war, fragile institutions, and persistent external interference. Meanwhile, the EU itself has to find a way to absorb new members without compromising cohesion and effectiveness.
