Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, among EU experts and decision makers to attend
Brussels, 28 May 2026 – On 11 and 12 June 2026, the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) and the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) will host the Irish Pre-Presidency Conference (PPC), Gateway to the Irish Presidency: Leadership in a Changing Europe, in Dublin.
The Irish PPC will bring together Irish and EU policymakers, experts from across Europe and members of the public to examine the EU’s most challenging policy areas, assess the aims and priorities of the incoming Irish Presidency and present actionable recommendations for its tenure.
The “Pre-Presidency Conference” is one of TEPSA’s flagship initiatives. Since 1975 – Ireland’s first time at the helm of the Council – this conference has been held every six months in the country set to take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Irish PPC will feature a series of plenary sessions over two days at IIEA headquarters in Dublin 1. The focus will be on several interrelated topics, spanning from enlargement to competitiveness and digital policy, geopolitical tensions, democracy and the rule of law, and security and defence. Highlights include the presentation of TEPSA’s Recommendations to the incoming Presidency, which will open the plenary sessions on Thursday, 11 June. The recommendations are authored by members of the TEPSA network, with an introduction by TEPSA Board Members Erik Jones (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies & Carnegie Europe) and Pernille Rieker (University of Oslo & Norwegian Institute of International Affairs).
Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, will also be present at the conference, delivering a keynote speech on Friday, 12 June.
Speaking about the conference, Alex White, IIEA Director General said: “Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a moment of profound geopolitical uncertainty. Against the backdrop of war in Ukraine and the Middle East, shifting transatlantic relations, economic volatility, and rising political polarisation, the challenges facing the European Union are both complex and consequential. This conference is a timely opportunity to bring together perspectives that will help inform Ireland’s role in guiding Europe through a fragile and uncertain global landscape.”
Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director of TEPSA said: “The Irish Presidency will have to play an important role in the next steps of the EU enlargement process: the formal opening of all remaining negotiating chapters with Ukraine and Moldova, and the preparation of the Accession Treaty with Montenegro. In the meantime, Dublin will need to guide Member States towards concrete achievements in terms of gradual integration. In a time when history is in the making, TEPSA is honoured that Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos will address the Pre-Presidency Conference in Dublin.”
The Irish PPC is co-funded by the European Union via TEPSA’s ExpressEU project and part of Future Proofing Europe, an IIEA project supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland.
The two-day conference will take place on Thursday, 11 June and Friday, 12 June at the IIEA, 8 North Great George’s St., Dublin 1 and streamed on IIEA’s YouTube channel and Zoom.
Contact: For any media queries, please contact Barbara Vanotti on +32493290659 or Barbara.vanotti@tepsa.eu.
Notes to Editor
Registrations to follow the discussions online or on Zoom are open. Click this link to register.
TEPSA is the first European affairs research network, with a pan-European network comprising 50 leading research institutes in 37 European countries. The organisation aims to bridge the gap between research, policy-making, and citizens.
The IIEA is an independent think tank and policy research institute. It acts as a forum, bringing together stakeholders to discuss issues of Irish, European and international significance. It is a member of the TEPSA network.
The Recommendations to the incoming Irish Presidency of the European Council are available here.
