Since 2022, the New Europe Center, in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, the International Renaissance Foundation, the Institute for European Policy and Reform, the Soros Foundation in Georgia, and the Zentrum Liberale Moderne, has been organizing the EU Accession Exchange Forum.
The Forum was created as a key expert platform for all candidate countries for membership of the EU, whose task is to exchange lessons learned in the process of accession talks and develop recommendations on how to make the EU enlargement process more effective.
3rd EU Accession Exchange Forum
On September 19, 2024, the New Europe Center organized the 3rd EU Accession Exchange Forum. More than 100 participants took part in the 3rd Forum. Speakers at the panel discussions included:
- Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine;
- Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine;
- Katarina Mathernova, Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine;
- Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The discussion panels were devoted to the following issues:
- EU’s geopolitical enlargement is back. Can it deliver?
- Taking stock of the reforms in the candidate countries and the EU: What now? What next?
- Spoilers of the EU integration: how to safeguard the EU accession process from Russia’s interference?
- How much does it cost? The price of the enlargement and the impact on the EU budget
- Gearing up for a Defence Union: can the EU stand alone as a security provider for its current and future members?
Video recording of the Forum is available here.
2nd EU Accession Exchange Forum
On 28 September 2023, the New Europe Center held the 2nd EU Accession Exchange Forum in Kyiv. Almost 100 participants took part, including a number of experts from different countries and high-ranking government officials. Speakers at the panel discussions included:
- Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine;
- Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Ilkov, Director General at Government Office for Coordination on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration;
- Katarina Mathernova, Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine.
Panel discussions at the event focused on the following issues:
- Challenges of the Russian war for Ukraine’s integration into the EU;
- Preparation for membership and reforms in the candidate countries;
- How should the EU reform to be ready for new members?
During the Forum, the results of the fifth independent monitoring of Ukraine’s implementation of the EU recommendations “Candidate Check-5” were presented.
1st EU Accession Exchange Forum
On 28-29 November, the New Europe Center organized the 1st EU Accession Exchange Forum with the participation of high-ranking government officials and leading experts in Kyiv.
Among the participants of the Forum:
- Government officials from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine responsible for coordinating the promotion of EU membership in these countries.
- Leading experts and representatives of civil society with experience in European and Euro-Atlantic integration from Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans.
- Members of the European and national parliaments, representatives of the European Commission, the EU Delegation to Kyiv, relevant EU technical assistance projects, donor organisations, think tanks and academic institutions.
The discussion panels covered a wide range of topics, including:
- The EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the potential candidate for Georgia: the path to membership;
- Western Balkans and Eastern Europe in one basket: reforms, perspectives, and synergies for speeding up the accession process;
- Parliaments’ role in the accession process: political consensus on accession reforms as a driver of success;
- Russian war against Ukraine: implications for the EU accession process;
- Staged accession and reform of the enlargement methodology: how to accelerate EU membership?
The Accession Exchange Forums are organized by the New Europe Center in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, the International Renaissance Foundation, the Institute for European Policies and Reforms and the Soros Foundation in Georgia. 1st and 2nd Accession Exchange Forum are taking place with EU support, within the EU-funded EU4USociety project implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation.
