EU Enlargement and the Eastern Partnership: Europe’s New Geopolitical Reality

8th Annual Tallinn Conference on the Eastern Partnership

Wednesday, 23 November 2022 in Tallinn, Estonia.

The past year has seen momentous events in Europe. Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine has launched geopolitical changes, the results of which will only become fully apparent in the years to come. However, we can already witness the accelerated European integration of the associated partner countries. Moldova and Ukraine have been granted candidate status and Georgia has been given a European perspective.

How can we ensure that EU enlargement will proceed as these countries expect? What can the new candidates learn from the more seasoned colleagues in the Western Balkan countries? Will the Western Balkan countries benefit from the extra attention that the enlargement process is getting or is there a risk of getting dragged into a mix of increased complexity?

There is no doubt that there will be close scrutiny of the reforms that the candidate countries are undertaking. Will the candidates have enough political will and capabilities to reform in such a manner that would also please the enlargement sceptics? What can todays candidates learn from the last wave of enlargement – is the reform experience of the 2004/07 wave transferrable to them?

Despite having its new sights set only a year ago, Eastern Partnership is facing existential questions about its future after the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the decisions of the European Council in June on Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia. Are the relationships between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries becoming irrevocably bilateral or are there still benefits to be found in multilateral cooperation? Can the accession and Eastern Partnership tracks run smoothly in parallel bringing the partner countries closer to the European Union?

This turbulent but still hopeful time is a good moment to try to find answers to these questions.

Agenda (all times in EET)

10:00 - 10:15 Introduction and welcome
Mr Indrek Kannik, Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)
Ms Vivian Loonela, Head of the European Commission Representation in Estonia
H.E. Ms Ingrid Tersman, Ambassador of Sweden in Estonia

10:15 - 11:00 Keynote Session
H.E. Mr Urmas Reinsalu, Foreign Minister of Estonia
H.E. Ms Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine (video link)
Mr Teimuraz Janjalia, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
Moderator: Dr Kristi Raik, Director of Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the ICDS

11:30 - 13:00 Panel I: EU Enlargement: How to Make it Happen?
Dr Liubov Akulenko, Executive Director, Ukrainian Centre for European Policy
Dr Steven Blockmans, Senior Fellow of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the ICDS, Director of Research at CEPS
Ms Kalinka Gaber, State Adviser for Policy Development and Coordination, Government of North Macedonia
Mr Jaap Frederiks, Ambassador, Special Representative for the Eastern Partnership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Moderator: Ms Marika Linntam, Director General for European Affairs, Ministry Foreign Affairs of Estonia

14:00 - 15:15 Panel II: Is Eastern Partnership Dead?
Mr Eugen Caras, Director of the European Integration Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova
Ms Christina Johannesson, Eastern Partnership Ambassador, the Swedish Foreign Service
Mr Dirk Schuebel, Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership, EEAS
Prof Kataryna Wolczuk, Professor of Politics at the Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies (CREES), University of Birmingham
Moderator: Mr Gert Antsu, Director for Ukraine, Moldova and South Caucasus, Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia

15:30 - 16:45 Panel III: Reforming for Membership
Mr Jan Marian, Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic
H.E. Dr Petar Marković, Ambassador, Head of Mission of Montenegro to the European Union
Mr Givi Mikanadze, First Deputy Chair of the Faction “The Georgian Dream”, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Parliament of Georgia
Dr Mykhailo Zhernakov, Co-founder and the Chair of the Board, DEJURE Foundation
Moderator: Mr Tanel Tang, Support Group for Ukraine, European Commission

16:45 - 18:00 Closing Remarks and Reception
Mr Gert Antsu, Director for Ukraine, Moldova and South Caucasus, Special Envoy for Eastern Partnership, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Mr Petr Preclík, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Czech Republic in Tallinn

Видео EU Enlargement and the Eastern Partnership: Europe’s New Geopolitical Reality канала International Centre for Defence and Security