Joint discussion by the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung in cooperation with the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).
2014 has so far been a year of sending mixed signals to the Western Balkans on the subject of EU integration. Incoming Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker explicitly expressed enlargement fatigue when he stated the obvious – that there will be no enlargement during his mandate – and downgraded the enlargement dossier in the new Commission. Yet, a high-profile summit of Western Balkan leaders in Berlin in August and the recent German-British initiative for Bosnia and Herzegovina do signal renewed engagement of Germany and a number of other key EU member states with the Balkans.
On the occasion of the launch of the latest policy brief by the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BIEPAG), we would like to discuss the prospects of EU enlargement policy in pushing forward the reform agenda in the Western Balkans. Does the EU have the right tool kit for facilitating the enlargement process in the Western Balkans? To what extent is EU policy toward the region affected by the Commission President's proclamation of an enlargement break and by domestic constraints in member states? And how can the negative perception of further EU enlargement be changed in key EU member states?
The event will commence with the presentation of the main findings of BIEPAG’s new policy brief and will be followed by a panel-debate. BIEPAG is a joint initiative of the European Fund for the Balkans and the Centre for Southeast European Studies of the University of Graz, involving researchers from EU member states and the Western Balkans.
Welcome and opening remarks:
Atje Drexler
Head of Department, International Relations Europe and its Neighbours, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stuttgart
Hedvig Morvai
Executive Director, European Fund for the Balkans, Belgrade
Presentation:
Prof. Florian Bieber
Director, Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz, Coordinator of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BIEPAG)
Panel discussants:
Gazmend Turdiu
Deputy Secretary General, Regional Cooperation Council, Sarajevo
Ivan Krastev
Chairman, Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia
Theresia Töglhofer
Associate Research Fellow, German Council on Foreign Relations, Berlin
The debate will be moderated by Nenad Sebek, Spokesperson of the Regional Cooperation Council, Sarajevo.
The event will be held in English and under the Chatham House rule.
