The 2004 enlargement of the European Union, encompassing Eastern European states, constituted a pivotal turning point in the continent’s history, enhancing its security and fortifying democratic values. Nevertheless, despite the two decades of collaborative efforts in building the European project, disparities between Eastern and Western Europe remain discernible, and some of the new Member states are still struggling with anti-democratic tendencies. The prevailing environment fosters doubts regarding the success of the 2004 enlargement and amplifies Eurosceptic voices, thereby detrimentally impacting the integration process of the EU candidate states.
In light of the aforementioned circumstances, KEW, alongside partner institutions from the Czech Republic, Latvia, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Cyprus decided to undertake the “(Re)uniting the East and West: Reflecting on the 2004 EU Enlargement.” project. The endeavour’s objective is to evaluate the current state of the European Community, two decades after the landmark 2004 enlargement, and to explore solutions for enhancing the integration between the Eastern and Western parts of Europe.
During the inaugural event held from April 10th to 11th, our experts engaged in the “EU Enlargement Forum 2024: 20 Years of Reuniting Europe’s East and West,” conference, hosted in Prague by the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy. During the two days, the participants examined the impact of the past two decades on the CEE region and the European Union, discussed potential EU strategies to address Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and explored methods to expedite the accession process for states currently seeking EU membership.
We encourage you to explore our website where you’ll find information on our upcoming project activities!
