Please note that this event is in-person only, with the exception of CEPS Members who may request a link to follow virtually.
Faced with Russian aggression and an increasingly fractured geopolitical landscape, the strategic necessity of European enlargement is more pressing than ever. Expanded integration is likely to deepen the EU’s strategic influence and security for decades to come. Conversely, stunted enlargement, and the failure to deliver on promises made, could generate frustrations which can be exploited by the other geopolitical players.
Alongside ramping up defence capabilities and aid for partners facing Russian aggression, concerted support for accession is necessary to promote deterrence and stability in the EU’s neighbourhood. A united front would strengthen our Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) objectives going forward.
As Europe’s security architecture rapidly evolves, accession will have to adapt and reflect this changing paradigm, whether deepening security and defence cooperation, expanded strategic use of CFSP instruments, or urgent reform of decision making processes.
But how to overcome internal divisions and the challenges of European integration? How best to use European instruments to consolidate peace and security in candidate countries? And what are the security necessities and implications of Ukraine’s EU membership?
Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, will offer remarks on the nexus of European security and enlargement, focusing on these key questions and more.
Moderator
- Karel Lannoo, CEO, CEPS
