Newsletter #1

In July 2024, the GEO-POWER-EU consortium gathered in Thessaloniki 🇬🇷 for the first consortium meeting and kick-off event. This hybrid event, held at CITY College, University of York Europe Campus, brought together over 40 participants to set the stage for the project’s ambitious objectives of enhancing the EU’s influence in the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans. Discussions focused on strategies to amplify the EU’s geopolitical influence, the challenges of fostering stability in the region, and actionable policies to address ongoing issues. Attendees actively engaged in Q&A sessions, fostering insightful exchanges that enriched the dialogue.

Missed the Kick-Off Event? Watch the recording here.

Our consortium is a collaborative network of esteemed organizations from across Europe, united by a shared commitment to addressing the geopolitical challenges in the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans.

Each consortium member contributes unique expertise, ranging from academic research and policy analysis to strategic development and on-the-ground implementation. Together, we are leveraging our collective knowledge to enhance the European Union’s strategic capabilities and influence in these vital regions.

To learn more about each member’s role in the consortium, visit our Consortium Members page.

GEO-POWER-EU launched its podcast series, GEO-POWER Talks, to bring expert insights on EU enlargement and its geopolitical significance. The first episode features an engaging discussion on the EU’s latest enlargement reports, examining the accession process and its implications for countries like Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. The panel also addresses stalled EU accession in Georgia, recent elections, allegations of fraud, and their impact on visa liberalization and potential sanctions.

The episode includes contributions from Kakha Gogolashvili, Director of the European Studies Programme at the Rondeli Foundation; Vesna Pusić, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs for Croatia; Odeta Barbullushi, Professor at the College of Europe; and Toby Vogel, Senior Fellow at the Democratization Policy Council. The discussion is moderated by Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, Director of the European Neighbourhood Council.

Listen to the full episode here.

GEO-POWER-EU researchers have completed the baseline study, laying a strong foundation for the project. The report provides a conceptual framework and key insights, including analyses of EU Enlargement and Eastern Partnership policies, geopolitical competition in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood, and EU foreign and defense policies. Read the study here.

With the baseline study now successfully completed, GEO-POWER-EU has moved to Work Packages 2 and 3, focusing on critical challenges in the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans. These phases provide a critical analysis of the stagnation of EU Enlargement and Eastern Partnership policies, evaluate the adequacy of current policy tools, and examine the linkages between external actors and the region. The project also explores EU strategic autonomy, highlighting weaknesses in defense cooperation, and develops strategic foresight through scenario planning to anticipate future geopolitical competition.

Additionally, GEO-POWER-EU will host a new X Spaces/podcast episode in January 2025 discussing the last US elections and their impact on Euro-Atlantic relations, shedding light on transatlantic dynamics and their implications for EU enlargement.

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On behalf of the GEO-POWER-EU Project Consortium and partner teams, we wish you a happy and restful holiday time!