The conference opened with a welcome speech by the EUROPEUM’s Executive Director Martin Vokálek and Senior Research Fellow Jana Juzová. The first panel focused on the current discussions about the need for closer cooperation between the EU and neighbouring countries, beyond those aspiring to join the Union.            The panellists emphasised the much needed acceleration in the EU enlargement process that would ensure that a growing Union can still remain a united and credible global political actor. 

The first afternoon panel focused on the question of how the integration of Ukraine into the Union can contribute to the strengthening of the EU instead of its potential destabilization due to the numerous challenges. The crucial question posed during the discussion was whether the EU would be able to accept Ukraine if it was still        at war. Apart from that, the debate was dominated by discussion about the enlargement timeline, instruments of financial support for Ukraine and actions to be taken to make the impact of Ukraine’s integration into the EU less dramatic.

The next session was dedicated to the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, specifically a debate about instruments available to countries for their adequate preparation for accession, if the existing tools are sufficient enough or how they should be revised to respond better to the candidates’ and EU’s needs.            The participants agreed that a reform of the accession process itself will not be sufficient to restore the credibility of the EU’s enlargement policy and that political  will among EU Member States will be crucial to reestablish the necessary trust between the Union and the candidates.