Session III: Central and Eastern Europe in Transition: Demographic and Socio-Economic Implications for the EU

This session will examine the state of play of the EU's neighbourhood and enlargement policies and their possible future development in the context of the current political, economic and security situation in Europe and beyond. It aims to provide a useful platform for discussion, bridging the knowledge produced by academics, politicians, policy-makers, and civil society. There are currently nine recognised candidate countries, including the Western Balkans countries and Ukraine, while the European Neighbourhood Policy governs the EU's cooperation with six Eastern European states. The EU's ability to cooperate with its neighbourhood remains one of the key factors that makes it a successful and transformative international actor, while previous enlargements have been among the EU's most significant successes. Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine has shown that the EU's neighbourhood and enlargement policies can also serve as geopolitical and security tools, in addition to their modernisation and peace-building roles. This new role adds an important dimension to the ongoing debate on the EU's internal cohesion on the one hand, and on political transformation and socio-economic transitions in the EU's neighbourhood on the other.