“[There is] a strong belief expressed at the highest levels of the Romanian officials that pursuit of the enlargement policy remains essential for advancing the European project, given its transformative effect on the countries targeted by the accession process. Romania considers the geostrategic value of enlargement for the European Union as investment in a united, prosperous, strong and stable Europe”

Enlargement policy is back at the top of the EU agenda after more than a decade. With the Commission’s recommendations to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to grant candidate status to Georgia on the understanding certain reforms will be made, enlargement policy is experiencing a window of opportunity to end its fatigue in favour of a new enthusiasm. The war in Ukraine and its intimate relationship with EU enlargement represent a chance to revitalise this policy, not only to allow the accession of new candidates, but also of old ones stuck in the negotiation process for decades. 

It is therefore crucial to continue the EU’s strategic communication efforts in promoting its benefits brought both to the citizens and the candidate countries – to avoid any relapse into yet another enlargement fatigue. To discuss this issue, the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) co-organised the public debate “Enlargement and the Future of Europe : Perspectives from Romania” with the European Institute of Romania (EIR). The event took place online via Zoom on March 13 at 13:30 CET (14:30 EET).

SPEAKERS: 

• Oana-Mihaela Mocanu, Director General, European Institute of Romania; 
• Mihai Sebe, Co-author of the Romanian chapter, TEPSA Book “Enlargement and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, Head of European Affairs Department, European Institute of Romania, Lecturer at the University of Bucharest; 
• Eliza Vaș, Co-author of the Romanian chapter, TEPSA Book “Enlargement and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, Coordinator of Studies Unit, European Institute of Romania; 
• Kerry Longhurst, Jean Monnet Professor at Collegium Civitas, Warsaw; 
• Miruna Butnaru-Troncotă, PhD, Associate Professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest;  
• Yasen Georgiev, Executive Director, Economic Policy Institute – EPI, Sofia; 
• Moderated by:  Michael Kaeding, Co-Editor of “Enlargement and the Future of Europe: Views from, the Capitals”, Honorary Board Member of the Trans European Policy Studies Association, Professor of European Integration and EU Politics at the University of Duisburg-Essen. 

Watch the event recording

As demonstrated in Mihai Sebe and Eliza Vaș’s chapter on Romanian attitudes in “Enlargement and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, Romania has been a constant defender of the enlargement process. Indeed, it has been able to grasp its importance both for the communism-free Central and Eastern European states to promote peace, democracy and the prosperity, and for the EU to expand its economic area of interest and the single market. The Romanian citizens themselves are predominantly in favour of enlargement, specifically as long-standing advocates of the accession of the Western Balkan states: prominent cases are the enduring support for the granting of candidate status to Ukraine, paired with the recognition of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova’s European path. 

With this event, TEPSA and EIR aimed to provide an overview of how specific factors of Romanian history, economy, and politics, have determined the national constant support towards the enlargement policy. In addition, the debate featured recommendations as to how to improve the situation towards a more satisfactory action for Romania both as a country unto itself and as an EU Member State. 

“Enlargement and the Future of Europe: views from the Capitals” is edited by Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak and Paul Schmidt, and published by Springer. It highlights 41 national histories, policies from 60 experts, and corresponding public perceptions of European integration, bringing forward national perspectives (both from the EU’s member states, and the EU’s neighbouring countries) on the manner in which the EU’s enlargement process is perceived in the context of the geopolitical changes generated by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. Moreover, the authors set forth a series of recommendations for their country’s approach towards the future of the enlargement policy. The chapter rendering Romania’s outlook has been written by Mihai Sebe, Head of the European Affairs Department, and Eliza Vaș, Coordinator of the Studies Unit, European Institute of Romania. In their article, they emphasise Romania’s steadfast support for the EU’s enlargement, and recommend the promotion of this process as a timely investment in upholding the European values.