On 10 December 2025, the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS), within the framework of the REUNIR (Resilience, Enlargement, Union, Neighbourhood, International Relations) project, hosted a two-part event in Tallinn focusing on the future of EU enlargement, with particular attention to the Western Balkans and the role of bilateral disputes in the accession process.

The event brought together academics, policymakers, and diplomats to discuss both the political realities facing enlargement countries and concrete policy options for moving the process forward.

REUNIR High-Level Lecture: Challenges and Prospects for the Western Balkans on Their Path Towards the EU in a Geopolitically Changing World

The morning session featured a high-level lecture. The discussion addressed the uneven progress of EU candidate and potential candidate countries, as reflected in the European Commission’s latest enlargement assessments. Panelists examined regional political stagnation, the impact of geopolitical pressures and malign interference, and the perceptions of EU enlargement within member states. Particular attention was paid to the differing trajectories of countries in the region, as well as to unresolved political and security challenges.

• The discussion was moderated by Dr Steven Blockmans, Senior Fellow at ICDS and CEPS, and Coordinator of the REUNIR project.

The panel featured:

• Dr Damir Kapidžić, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Sarajev
• Tuuli Pärnsalu, Head of the Division for South-Eastern Europe and EU General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
• Dr Eiki Berg, Professor of International Relations Theory, University of Tartu

Report Presentation and Public Discussion: From Stalemate to Solution: Rethinking EU Approaches to Bilateral Disputes in the Context of Enlargement

The afternoon session focused on the presentation of the ICDS report “From Stalemate to Solution: Rethinking EU Approaches to Bilateral Disputes in the Context of Enlargement,” authored by Dr Steven Blockmans and Dr Butrint Berisha.

Although Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has given new momentum to the European Union’s enlargement process, further progress is being hindered by unresolved bilateral disputes and individual member states blocking decision-making in the Council. In cataloguing the various disputes, the report highlights the EU’s non-interventionist approach before the accession of Cyprus, noting how the EU itself served as a framework for cooperation and dispute resolution, as demonstrated in the case of Northern Ireland. The report assesses a wide range of EU instruments and third-party resolution mechanisms provided by the Council of Europe, United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Existing proposals to overcome the misuse of veto power are also analysed.

The presentation was followed by a public discussion with contributions from:

• Dr Steven Blockmans, Senior Fellow at ICDS and CEPS
• H.E. Mr Volodymyr Boiechko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia
• Tuuli Pärnsalu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia

The discussion was moderated by Helga Kalm, Deputy Director and Head of the Foreign Policy Programme at ICDS.

The report is publicly available on the ICDS website.

About the REUNIR Project 

REUNIR project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement nº 101132446. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.