February 19, 2025
EU Enlargement Conference 2025 – Is There a “Renewed Impetus” at This Difficult Time?
On 19 February 2025, the European Union Enlargement Conference (EUEC) took place in Tallinn to discuss the possibilities of EU accession for Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries, as well as the EU’s general strategy towards enlargement and its future.
Amongst the speakers of the conference were Margus Tsahkna, Foreign Minister of Estonia; Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia; Oleksandr Ilkov, head of the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine; Megi Fino, Albanian Deputy Foreign Minister; Rodica Crudu, State Secretary for European Integration of Moldova; Gert Jan Koopman Director-General, DG ENEST, European Commission, Charlotte Wrangberg, Ambassador of Sweden in Tallinn; Maksym Kyiak, expert at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
„As we have said for years, and as we have proven by our action, the more united we are as allies and partners, the more successful we will be in shaping such a course of history that grants security, stability and Wealth,“ said minister Tsahkna. „We need frank and timely discussions about fitting Europe for the challenges of our time. This is the basis for decisive and agile action. These discussions include our take on enlargement and how we push a new swing into it.“
“Organised on the cusp of the fourth, decisive year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and within the first 100 days of the investiture of the new European Commission, questions will abound about both the EU’s and candidate countries’ readiness for enlargement. This turbulent time is a perfect moment to try and offer clarity about the way forward,” says Steven Blockmans, Director of the EUEC and Senior Fellow at the ICDS.
The conference was jointly organised by the ICDS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia in partnership with the European Commission Representation in Estonia, the Embassy of Sweden in Tallinn, and the Embassy of Poland in Tallinn.
The conference took place in the Nordic Hotel Forum. This was an invitation-only event.
Agenda
Wednesday, 19 February
Location: Nordic Hotel Forum (Viru Väljak 3, Tallinn)
09:00-09:30 Registration and coffee
09:30-09:45 Introduction and welcome
Steven Blockmans, Conference Director, Senior Fellow at the ICDS
Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Ave Schank-Lukas, Acting Head, European Commission Representation in Estonia
Charlotte Wrangberg, Ambassador, Embassy of Sweden in Tallinn
09:45-11:00 Panel I: Keeping momentum
Gert Jan Koopman, Director General, DG ENEST, European Commission (online)
Megi Fino, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania
Rodica Crudu, State Secretary for European Integration of Moldova
Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Moderator: Steven Blockmans, Conference Director, Senior Fellow at the ICDS
10:30-10:45 Intermezzo: Year 4 of Russia’s full-scale invasion
Introduction: Gert Antsu, Director of the Ukraine, Moldova and South Caucasus Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Olesia Mamchych, Ukrainian Poet
10:45-11:00 Reactions
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 Panel II: Principled pragmatism?
Merits-based approach – ‘Ukraine will accede in 2 years’ time’ – Economic concerns of member states demand gradual integration and transitional measures – ‘For the EU, other interests trump democracy promotion and rule of law’ – Estonia’s experience and expectations.
Thomas Hagleitner, Head of Unit, European Commission – Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood A1
Oleksandr Ilkov, Director General of the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine (online)
Tomasz Wiśniewski, Head of Unit for EU Enlargement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland
Alar Streimann, Visiting professor, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu; former Estonian chief negotiator for EU accession
Luka Glušac, Deputy Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Moderator: Steven Blockmans, Conference Director, Senior Fellow at the ICDS
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:15 Panel III: Convincing citizens
Will accession of vulnerable candidates really enhance our security? Is the EU’s next enlargement wave really in our economic interest? How to address enlargement ‘fatigue’ in EU member states and candidate countries?
Engjellushe Morina, Senior Research Fellow, ECFR
Damir Kapidžic, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Sarajevo
Ave Schank-Lukas, Acting Head, European Commission Representation in Estonia
Hannes Rumm, Communication expert at PractNet, former journalist and former Head of the European Commission Representation in Estonia
Moderator: Antoaneta Dimitrova, Professor of Comparative Governance, Leiden University
15:15-15:30 Coffee Break
15:30-16:45 Panel IV: Black Sea Security
Maritime battlefield – Big power dynamics – Freedom of navigation & economic zones – Towards a new EU strategy
Maksym Kyiak, Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Kornely Kakachia, Professor of Political Science, Tbilisi State University
Tacan Ildem, Chairman of EDAM, former Assistant Secretary General of NATO
Edward Iosiper, Director General for Political Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania
Moderator: Erika Ellamaa-Ots, Director General for Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
16:45-17:00 Closing remarks
Janne Jõesaar-Ruusalu, Director of Division for South-Eastern Europe and EU General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Artur Orzechowski, Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tallinn
17:00-18:00 Reception offered by the Embassy of Poland in Estonia
