Practical information
Themes and regions
Related centers and programs
The Western Balkans have been on the EU path for more than twenty years now, without really getting closer to EU accession. Their European perspectives took a new turn with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The new geopolitical context makes their accession an incontrovertible goal. Yet, much remains to be done to make it a reality. Disrupted by bilateral disputes and contested sovereignty issues, the EU’s accession policy has lost much of its clout, and it is ill-equipped, in its present form, to tackle serious challenges in the East, let alone complex security-related issues. Also, its revamp, whilst necessary, hinges on sensitive internal reforms in the EU and on Member States’ competing visions of the future of Europe. What course should the EU set for a more strategic accession policy in the new geopolitical context? What reforms would the EU need to undergo to ensure the proper and timely completion of the process? How can the EU counter the disrupting power of open bilateral disputes and contested sovereignty issues and effectively promote good neighbourliness? In a word, what should a new agenda for the EU in the Western Balkans look like?
Programme
Welcome
Dominique David, President of the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe; Advisor to the Executive Chairman of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri)
Discussion
Donika Emini, Member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), Researcher at the University of Westminster and Executive Director of CIVIKOS
Alexandre Adam, Former Europe advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, Member of the Council of State of the French Republic and Member of the Council of the European Council on Foreign Relations
Moderation
Florent Marciacq, Deputy Secretary General of the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe and Associate Researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri
REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSED
![]()
Related Subjects
Other events
COP31 in Antalaya: State of the Global Climate Governance, Issues, Perspectives
COPs have become a year-end marathon to revigorate a world now entering the era of climate overshoot. While Türkiye exhibits the largest coal-fired power generation in OECD Europe, it has embraced the electrification agenda and aims at joining forces with Australia on fostering action and implementation. This is an unusual de facto co-presidency arrangement, but one that could yield promising results. This webinar will take stock of what climate governance has achieved and of the issues still to be negotiated, and explore what impetus this Turkish–Australian partnership could provide.
A New Moment for Central Europe? Regional Cooperation in a Time of European Strategic Choices
Recent political developments in Central Europe have revived the debate about the future of regional cooperation and the Visegrád Group. Changes in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, together with Austria’s growing interest in closer cooperation with its neighbours, could create new opportunities for dialogue and coordination around shared priorities.
China’s Nuclear Buildup: Developments, Drivers, and Implications for Major-Power Relations and Arms Control
China has been steadily expanding its nuclear arsenal for several years amid levels of geopolitical tension unseen since the end of the Cold War, marked by a resurgence in nuclear proliferation and a broader, global arms race.