The EU and its Eastern Neighbourhood’

The event takes place with collaboration of the city of The Hague and under the flag of the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFE). The COFE gives inhabitants of our shared European continent the chance to make their voice heard!

LINKS Europe, in collaboration of The City of The Hague and with the support of The Hague Humanity Hub, cordially invites you to participate in a one-day conference with the theme: ‘The EU and its Eastern neighbourhood’. The event is the third in our series, Conversations on the future of Europe in the World, and aims to contribute to the debate within the framework of The Conference on the Future of Europe.

Eastern Europe is the EU’s back yard. Geographically it shares the continent; historically it is connected through centuries of interaction, religious affinity and more. EU foreign policy cannot succeed unless it is successful first in the Eastern neighbourhood. Whilst that is possible, it is by no means a certainty. Between the EU and Russia – Europe’s giant neighbour to the East – are the Eastern Partnership countries. Three of them – Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – are EU Associated states with aspirations for EU membership; the three others have closer relations with Russia, with Belarussharing a Union State; Armenia being a member of the CSTO and EEAU; and Azerbaijan, whilst a non-aligned country, also claiming a strategic relationship
with Russia.

The EU has since 2009 sought to manage its relationship with these diverse group of countries through the Eastern Partnership with mixed results. This one-day conference, coming as it does on the eve of a crucial EU-Eastern Partnership summit in December, will take stock of how this important and costly EU instrument has performed, and how it can work in the future, in three sessions:

• Session one, 09:30-11:45 – The EU and the process of reform and renewal in the Eastern Neighbourhood: Six countries; six nuances and a giant elephant in the room
• Session two, 12:15-14:15 – The EU and conflicts in the Eastern Neighbourhood
• Session three, 14:30-16:30 – The EU and the rule of law in the Eastern Neighbourhood: The case of Ukraine

Please note that the event will be held under strict 3G COVID-19 protocols – namely, all attendees must show proof of vaccination, proof of recovery, or a negative test no more than 24-hours old. There will be no exceptions.