The strategic importance of European Union enlargement in the current geopolitical environment was the focus of a dedicated discussion held in Brussels as part of the Cyprus Forum. Participants underlined that enlargement is no longer a theoretical debate, but a geostrategic priority linked directly to Europe’s security, stability and global standing.
Cyprus Forum discussion in Brussels
The discussion, titled “The Strategic Importance of EU Enlargement in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape”, took place on Tuesday at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the European Union in Brussels. Speakers agreed that EU enlargement strengthens the Union’s security architecture and enhances stability across the European continent.
Cyprus Presidency perspective on enlargement
Speaking at the event, Nektaria Kakoutsi, Enlargement Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU, highlighted the importance of enlargement in the current political environment.
She noted that the European Union is facing increased competition among major powers alongside multiple and overlapping crises. In this context, she stressed that the EU must develop strategic autonomy, respond effectively to crises and maintain cooperation with its allies.
As she explained, enlargement concerns the accession of new countries to the EU “family”, offering stability, security and a values-based framework. She pointed out that ten candidate partners are currently closely following developments, including Ukraine, which is at war, while the Western Balkans have been waiting for around twenty years.
Within the framework of its six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU, Cyprus aims to advance enlargement, emphasising that while the process is conditional and values-based, it must not become a source of delay or disappointment for candidate partners.
European Commission approach to accession
Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), stated that EU enlargement is a real and necessary process, while underlining the need for strict adherence to EU values and performance-based criteria by candidate countries.
He said that the accession process for the first group of candidates is relatively straightforward, as existing methodologies are designed to assess them. At the same time, he noted that the EU is examining how its own interests in stabilising the broader environment can be combined with a process fully based on values and performance.
Koopman stressed that accession must involve alignment not only with EU values but also with EU policies, particularly the Common Foreign and Security Policy. He also highlighted the importance of public and member state support for the ratification of accession treaties, warning that failure at that stage would constitute a geostrategic defeat for the European Union.
Ukraine and European security
Oksana Diakun, Deputy Head of Mission of Ukraine to the EU, described Ukraine as a critical factor for European security and the EU’s geostrategic stability. She expressed appreciation for the Cypriot Presidency’s focus on enlargement.
Diakun stated that there is no dilemma between enlargement being geopolitical or merit-based, noting that enlargement is a geostrategic necessity both for the EU and for candidate countries. She emphasised that Ukraine has already become a security issue for Europe, not only by defending the eastern flank, but also through its defence industry and contribution to European resilience.
She also linked Ukraine’s accession to the EU’s strategic autonomy and food security, stressing the importance of a framework that supports reforms within both Member States and candidate countries. According to her, discussion of an accession date is not a shortcut, but a tool to support discipline and mobilisation for reforms.
Western Balkans and merit-based enlargement
Petar Marković, Ambassador of Montenegro to the EU, stated that EU enlargement is no longer in question, stressing that the Union must continue to expand while respecting meritocracy and acknowledging geopolitical realities.
He noted that the process should strengthen the European Union that emerges from it and referred to the motto of the Cypriot Presidency as a relevant framework for the coming period. Marković also argued that the EU must demonstrate its ability to respond to global challenges through a sustainable, multi-layered and merit-based enlargement process.
He rejected the notion that geopolitical and merit-based approaches are mutually exclusive, explaining that the current methodology can be combined with a political framework that allows credible, merit-based signals to candidate countries.
Strategic environment and risks of inaction
In his remarks, Ian Lesser, Distinguished Fellow and Adviser to the President at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, highlighted the increasingly challenging strategic environment for Europe.
He warned of the costs of inaction, noting that failure to take decisions creates space for actors such as Russia and China, leading to a less favourable strategic environment. Referring to Ukraine, he described the situation as existential due to the scale and significance of the war in Europe.
Lesser concluded that while the challenge is more complex than in regions such as the Western Balkans, it is also far more consequential for Europe’s future, stressing the need for flexible and targeted solutions that will be decisive for both Ukraine and the European Union.