EU's Defining Moment: The EU's Role in its Neighbourhood Amidst Geopolitical Tensions with Russia and China

13.11.2024


On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the Delegation of Prague to the EU, EUROPEUM Brussels Office and the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union organised a discussion titled EU's Defining Moment: The EU's Role in its Neighbourhood Amidst Geopolitical Tensions with Russia and China.

Opening Remarks:

Jitka Látal Znamenáčková, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the Political and Security Committee Martin Vokálek, Executive Director, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy

Speakers:

Ondřej Kolář, Member of the European Parliament, EPP, Czech Republic

Lucia Yar, Member of the European Parliament, Renew, Slovakia

Luuk van Middelaar, Director, Brussels Institute for Geopolitics

Tinatin Akhvlediani, Research Fellow, CEPS

moderated by Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director & Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute

At the start of the next political cycle, the EU is faced with numerous challenges associated with growing geopolitical tensions and competition. The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has played a pivotal role in reshaping the EU’s external relations, served as a catalyst for strengthening relations with immediate neighbours and revitalized the enlargement process towards Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries. EU’s growing recognition of the geopolitical importance of its neighbourhood is also further reflected in the increased cooperation with candidate countries in specific policy areas, such as migration, cyber or energy security. The malign influence of Russia and China in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe persists and is in contrast to the EU accession process. While there are clear distinctions between the ambitions of Russia and China in the candidate countries, the EU Member States and across the globe, strengthening the EU's closest neighbourhoods through further enlargement and closer cooperation with other regional actors is perceived as a crucial step towards enhancing the EU’s ability to counter regional and global challenges.

What are the key challenges in terms of the EU’s enlargement towards Eastern Europe and Western Balkans? What role can candidate countries play in shaping the EU’s future, and how would failure to enlarge impact the European continent? How can we better counter Russian and Chinese influence in our closest neighbourhood? And how can future relations with Turkey, the forgotten EU candidate, be shaped?