The distinguishing characteristic of the EU’s next eastward enlargement is that it is more security-driven than before. Negotiating accession with a country at war is different from the theoretical deterrence drive of previous integration rounds or from providing a prescription for post-conflict peacebuilding in the Western Balkans. Defence owns the hard meaning of the concept […]
AI has emerged in recent years as a major driver of technological change across many sectors and its influence is only going to increase. In this context, as part of the green industrial recovery programme for Ukraine 2024-28 funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, CEPS collaborated with UNIDO (UN Industrial […]
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has resulted in colossal human loss. According to the World Bank, this has already in 2023 amounted to 26 000 civilian casualties, the displacement of around 3.7 million people internally within Ukraine and around 5.9 million externally in Europe and beyond. The war has pushed 7.1 million people into poverty and […]
While European citizens largely support aid to Ukraine and its eventual accession to the EU, 59 % believe reconstruction will be a financial burden on the EU instead of an opportunity. However, there’s not nearly enough attention on the enormous benefits Ukraine could bring to the EU’s table. The upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin on […]
The EU’s enlargement process is at a cross-roads. There have been some positive steps recently, but these are not in themselves credibly answering the question whether the process is really on track for a new round of accessions, even over a long-term horizon; or whether the long and complex procedures are masking a political reality […]
NATO turns 75 years old today. Since 1949, the world’s largest security and defence alliance has provided collective defence for North America and Europe. But, unlike a ‘brain-dead’ 75-year-old, NATO has found a new lease on life following Russia’s war against Ukraine and the arrival of two new Allies. While Allies should celebrate NATO’s achievements, […]
Vladimir Putin now adds another six years to his reign in the Kremlin after ‘winning’ a fraudulent election on 17 March with 88 % of the vote. Now he may feel inclined to become even more aggressive towards Ukraine and the rest of Europe. The risks for the EU and its civilisation are now truly […]
The EU’s High Representative, Josep Borrell, has just embarked on his first official visit to Georgia to discuss the country’s progress on its European integration path. The visit carries immense significance given the EU’s impending assessment of the progress made by Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia in their quest for EU membership. While the EU already […]
Eight months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US has spent almost three times as much in ‘lethal aid’ to the Ukrainian armed forces than the EU institutions and Member States combined. Beyond the headline figures presented in well-known indices, data are hard to come by in a disaggregated manner. This lack of transparency […]
India’s continued economic relationship with Russia spikes fears in the West that India could facilitate the circumnavigation of sanctions against Russia. This is on top of India’s refusal to openly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leaving the EU far from happy. Nevertheless, relations with India are far too important to risk serious deterioration, so […]
This paper responds to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request on 28 February 2022 for his country to accede to membership of the European Union. The European Council meeting at Versailles on 10-11 March endorsed the Council’s invitation to the European Commission to produce an Opinion on this request. The present paper is our Opinion on […]
Russia’s invasion – or better called Putin’s – has become a terrible war, with the Ukrainians sustaining impressive resistance against the huge Russian firepower. The outcome at this stage remains totally uncertain. Our webinar on 16 March, organized within the framework of the “3 DCFTAs” Project, CEPS in cooperation with the Eastern Partnership Civil Society […]