Trans European Policy Studies Association

Welcome to Invigorate EU Talks, a podcast series born from a major EU-funded Horizon research project, bringing together leading scholars and policymakers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests, reinvigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world.

I am Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director of TEPSA, the Trans-European Policy Studies Association.

In this sixth episode, we ask, when candidate countries adopt EU social rules, do people's lives actually change? Or what does it take to build cohesive societies on the road to EU membership? I'm honored to welcome Mr.

Seamus Boland, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, EESC, the body that represents organized civil society in the European Union.

Welcome to Invigorate EU Talks, a podcast series born from a major EU-funded Horizon research project, bringing together leading scholars and policymakers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests, reinvigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world.

I am Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director of TEPSA, the Trans-European Policy Studies Association.

In this fifth episode, we ask a crucial question.

Three years after EU leaders called enlargement a strategic priority, how do we move the barriers that stand in a way of making it a success? In Grenada in October 2023, EU leaders declared that enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity.

And enlargement does not rank among the most priorities for the EU when it comes to public opinion.

And then you refer to the referenda, and if you then realize that enlargement remains a minority in view of France, Czechia and Austria public opinion, I think this is really something where we need to tackle.

And all I could say is that we need strategic communication to actually engage with the public, to take the public along already during the procedure, But we do have another Horizon project, which is called Citizens, where TEPSA and IAP are a member of the consortium.

And we are just about to start our work.