14 September 2026, Brussels – CEPS hosted the second edition of its closed-door “confessionals” under the REUNIR project, co-organized with the College of Europe in Natolin, bringing together Ambassadors and diplomats from EU candidate countries alongside EU policymakers and diplomats from member states.
The aim of the confessionals was to stress-test a draft White Paper, Galvanizing the EU’s Protean Power in the Eastern Neighborhood and Western Balkans by 2035, compiled by REUNIR researchers Tamar Gamkrelidze, Tinatin Akhvlediani, and Iulian Groza.
The researchers’ presentation focused on two core strands of analysis:
- Threat and foresight analysis to 2035, alongside an assessment of EU policy gaps across three interconnected domains: security, socio-economic development, and democracy.
- Translating these analytical findings into draft policy recommendations spanning the same three domains.
The paper’s broader objectives are to strengthen the EU enlargement and foreign policy toolkits to help the candidate countries of the Eastern neighbourhood and Western Balkans build resilience against malign foreign interference and stay the course on the way to EU integration.
Incorporating the feedback received during the confessionals, the REUNIR team aims to publish the full White Paper ahead of the project’s final conference in November.
REUNIR extends its gratitude to all distinguished guests and participants for their valuable insights and continued engagement in strengthening resilience and advancing the European Union’s enlargement agenda.
