Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of the Peloponnese, Greece

National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Centre for South-East European Studies, University of Graz, Austria

Hanns Seidel Foundation, Athens Office

Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

Virtual Conference (15-16 October 2020)

“The future of EU enlargement and partnership policies: EU actorness in South-Eastern Europe and the Eastern Neighbourhood”

After the completion of the 2004/07 enlargement round and Croatia’s accession in 2013, the EU seems to have forgotten its other neighbours who are still hoping for an ‘EU future’. The hope that Western Balkan accession had become a priority on the EU agenda following European Commission President Junker’s optimistic State of the Union speech in 2017 has so far largely evaporated. Neither the Eastern Partnership nor enlargement to the Western Balkans were a topic in the campaigns for the European Parliament elections in May 2019. Moreover, Turkey’s accession to the EU has come to a halt. Political elites and the wider public in most EU member states increasingly tend to perceive eastern neighbours as posing grave challenges rather than being (potential) members of the same club. While EU accession and partnership discussions have slowed down, the challenges to security and prosperity related to this region have become more complex and pressing - institutional and governance weaknesses, migration and refugee flows, intractable conflicts to name but a few. 

What is the future of the enlargement and eastern neighbourhood policies that were drafted in previous decades? Is there any policy room for the new leadership in EU institutions to fulfil the promises of membership and partnership in the wider Southeast and East European area in a new strategic context?

The conference seeks to reconsider two EU policies - enlargement and eastern partnership through theory and policy perspectives.  Papers from a broad range of disciplines are welcome, including but not limited to: political science, history, economics, sociology and cultural studies.

[color-box color="blue"]Conference Programme[/color-box]

The conference will be live streamed via the following two YouTube channels:

PsirConf 01 (Sessions: Opening/Keynote, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7)
https://youtube.com/channel/UCdZBkLxyaeR5hz-J_8c4Kuw

PsirConf 02 (Sessions: B1, B2, B4, B5, B6)
https://youtube.com/channel/UCG0MdbzciNZlP1HKa-jkeHg

Keynote Address:

 "EU Enlargement and Partnership Policies: Past, Present and Future"
Speaker: Professor Geoffrey Pridham, Emeritus Professor at Bristol University.

Conference Organisers and Programme Coordinators:

Dr. Nikolaos Tzifakis, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of the Peloponnese.
Dr. Milenko Petrovic, Jean Monnet Chair, National Centre for Research on Europe, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury.
Dr. Florian Bieber, Professor and Director of the Centre for South-East European Studies, University of Graz and Jean Monnet Chair in the Europeanization of Southeastern Europe.

For any further information please contact Ms. Eleni Georgoulia (elenigeorgoulia@uop.gr).
For technical issues please contact Mr. Marios Bartzis (mbartzis@uop.gr).

Under the Auspices