CEPS Foreign Policy

#Blog

If America Wants KFOR Out, the EU Must Be Ready to Step In

Tony Lawrence @icds-tallinn.bsky.social

Ending #KFOR would deepen doubts about U.S. reliability & the EU would have to take over to maintain regional stability & prove its own security commitments

Read here tinyurl.com/4rpbwc2c

#REUNIR Panel at the @ceps.eu Ideas Lab!

On March 2, 50+ policymakers, diplomats and experts gathered for a high-level debate on Europe’s security architecture and the future of #EUenlargement

🌐 Read the news on our website tinyurl.com/4wkfwykp

@horizoneu.bsky.social @stevenblockmans.bsky.social

Great discussion on European Security Council and future of European defence at #CEPSLab2026 w President Sauli Niinistö, who leads special @ceps.eu Task Force on the European pillar for NATO. Glad to see we have similar views on most of the ideas!

In recent years, security and defence have become key EU policy priorities.

At #CEPSLab2026, our second plenary will explore the future of EU security. Our speakers will discuss a European pillar within #NATO and policy options for long-term stability.

Learn more: ideaslab.ceps.eu/plenary-2-wh...

Securing access to #CRMs is crucial for Europe's green transition and competitiveness.

At #CEPSLab2026, one of our sessions will examine how the Global Gateway can help secure Europe's access to CRMs.

Learn more:
ideaslab.ceps.eu/global-gatew...

The EU's engagement in Gaza is passive at best. Little progress has been made at promoting peace or providing humanitarian aid, with huge costs to its reputation.

At #CEPSLab2026, we will ask how the EU can meaningfully support peace efforts in Gaza.

Learn more: ideaslab.ceps.eu/the-eu-in-ga...

At their first meeting, Trump's Board of Peace recently pledged $7 billion for relief in Gaza. It remains unclear what this will mean for Palestinians.

In a #CEPSLab2026 Substack post, James Moran calls on Europe to do more to support the region.

Read more ➡️ cepseu.substack.com/p/words-aren...

The European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs) marks a decisive step for the EU in strengthening its crisis response and strategic autonomy.

A new study offers a framework to ensure EDPCIs' ability to deliver on its promises.

Read it here: www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

🚨Happening Now

Future-Proofing EU Enlargement Against Foreign Malign Influence in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Georgia&Moldova

This panel examines different approaches to hybrid threats & malign influences among candidate countries @gppi.bsky.social @bressansar.bsky.social @horizoneu.bsky.social

Really pleased to share my latest analysis, with the excellent Steven Blockmans, on EDPCIs for the @europarl.europa.eu. We look at the what, how and why of EU common defence projects. Timely, we think.

Read here: www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etud...

@stevenblockmans.bsky.social

All eyes are on #Greenland right now – including here at CEPS. Check out our commentaries below:

👉 Grabbing Greenland – and how it would impact NATO and the EU: www.ceps.eu/grabbing-gre...

👉 The EU's on thin ice in Greenland. It really needs to get its messages across: www.ceps.eu/the-eus-on-t...

Last call for our exciting panel event with the Orbis Project happening TOMORROW!

Join us to hear from expert speakers on…

🧑‍💻 The challenges and opportunities of tech in democracies
🇺🇦 Ukrainian refugees' experiences in Europe

Sign up NOW: www.ceps.eu/ceps-events/...

For years, Viktor Orbán's grip on the Hungarian political system seemed unshakeable. However, as the country prepares for elections on April 12, this status quo is being challenged.

Take a closer look in @juliapocze.bsky.social's new Substack post on the topic: cepseu.substack.com/p/in-hungary...

We are kicking off 2026 with a new #REUNIRPublication! 💡

D3.3 Policy Brief - Investing in Security: A Policy Agenda to Strengthen the EU's Future Members

Full publication available here: reunir-horizon.eu/3877-2/

Check our policy recommendations below ⬇️

@horizoneu.bsky.social

✨ 2025, WHAT A YEAR! ✨

The past 12 months have been big for CEPS. From climate and AI to digital policy, migration, and finance, our work continued to inform policymakers on Europe’s most pressing challenges.

Check out our 2025 in numbers below ⬇️

#REUNIR: 2025 UNWRAPPED! 🎄

As 2025 draws to a close, we invite you to explore the latest analyses and research from REUNIR

🌐 Read the full newsletter on our website: reunir-horizon.eu/reunir-2025-...

Happy Holidays! Warmest Wishes for a Bright 2026!

@horizoneu.bsky.social

Actorness in Different Shades? Comparing EU External Action Across Global Governance Institutions - Research Report | ENSURED How strong an international actor is the EU in a shifting geopolitical landscape? Findings show significant variation in actorness across policy areas and highlight that different forms of EU support ...

🚨 REPORT | "Actorness in Different Shades? Comparing EU External Action Across Global Governance Institutions"

Drawing on 15 ENSURED case studies, @franziskapetri.bsky.social, @stevenblockmans.bsky.social, Edith Drieskens & @cerenjilan.bsky.social analyse how the EU performs across 5 policy areas.

#REUNIRPodcast

❓How do External Actors Interfere in the Political Affairs of the Western Balkans EU Candidate Countries?

🌐Listen to the podcast on our website: reunir-horizon.eu/how-do-exter...

💾 and save it on your Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7r2D...

@horizoneu.bsky.social

#REUNIRPublication

📌 ENGAGEMENT, ENLARGEMENT & ESTRANGEMENT – EU Democracy Promotion & Protection in its Eastern Neighbourhood in-between Three Relational Paradigms

✍ Author: Andriy Tyushka

Full publication available on our website: reunir-horizon.eu/engagement-e...

@horizoneu.bsky.social

Turkey has become one of the most active middle powers navigating a fragmenting global order. 🇹🇷

In their new policy brief, guest authors Jeffery Mankoff and @muhdansaglam.bsky.social outline how the US and Europe can strengthen cooperation with Turkey.

Read it here: www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

At yesterday's event on Ukraine 🇺🇦 and Moldova's 🇲🇩 EU integration, our speakers discussed the 2025 Enlargement Package and both countries' EU accession targets 🇪🇺

Thank you to our speakers Cristina Gherasimov, Taras Kachka, & Gert Jan Koopman as well as to moderator @tinatinakhvlediani.bsky.social! 🎙️

We are live (streaming): www.ceps.eu/ceps-events/...

with DG Koopman 🇪🇺 and Ambassadors of Albania 🇦🇱, Kosovo 🇽🇰, Moldova 🇲🇩, Montenegro 🇲🇪, Ukraine 🇺🇦

GIP, Georgia’s Key Think Tank, Halts Work Citing Repression, Loss of Mission - Civil Georgia The Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP), a leading Tbilisi-based think tank established in 2011, an

One more of our trusted partners falls victim to the Georgian Dream’s increasing repression. As an independent policy research institution sharing GIP’s democratic values, @ceps.eu stands with its Georgian colleagues

civil.ge/archives/703...

🔎 With 4 EU states recognising the State of Palestine and new Commission measures against Israel, Europe’s stance is shifting.

It may not change realities on the ground, but it signals hope to the Palestinian people and and warns Netanyahu that impunity has limits.

👉 bit.ly/4mJNv9m

VDL has promised to widen the ‘simplification’ agenda to other policy areas. With various forms of ‘gradual integration’, her Commission has gone the opposite way, adding administrative burden to an already long and cumbersome process.

Here’s a proposal to radically simplify EU enlargement 👇

#REUNIRBlog

🇲🇩 In a new op-ed, Iulian Groza (IPRE - Institutul pentru Politici și Reforme Europene) highlights how civil society, independent media, and state institutions are working together to safeguard democratic integrity.

👉 Read more: reunir-horizon.eu/op-ed-moldov...

@horizoneu.bsky.social

Can international organisations be both effective and robust — or must one always come at the expense of the other?

Read about the trade-offs IOs must navigate to deliver results while remaining resilient to existential challenges: www.ensuredeurope.eu/publications

📢 We are launching a new Task Force on a European Pillar within NATO with @rusi.bsky.social, Clingendael and the Institute for European Policymaking of Bocconi University.

It will bring together experts to define practical steps for strengthening Europe’s defence readiness.

👉 bit.ly/4mGWJnr

#Alaska and #Washington meetings: Commenting on what’s at stake for #Ukraine, #EU and #US.

Watch on BloombergTV & Reuters

@ceps.eu

Save the date! Join us on Sept 9 at 18:00 in Berlin for an event on “Crafting Global Narratives – Strategic Communications for Multilateralism.”

REGISTER NOW: ensuredinberlin.eventbrite.com

@maastrichtu.bsky.social @gppi.bsky.social @claraweinhardt.bsky.social @ensured.bsky.social