Think Visegrad in Brussels

PUBLIC DEBATE

 

“Shaping Our Digital Future: tackling Disinformation in the EU, case of Central and Eastern Europe”

 

When:  27th March 2023, from 16:30 to 18:45

Where: Thon Hotel EU, Rue de la Loi 75, 1000 Bruxelles

What:  Public debate

Partner: International Republican Institute and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

 

About: The discussion examined the various forms of malign foreign influence that shape and impact political processes and public opinions in the CEE region, specifically in regard to the war in Ukraine and the new challenges it raised. It discussed various tactics of CEE countries against disinformation and talked about the Action Plan on Disinformation, 2022 Code of Practice on Disinformation, the European Media Freedom Act, and other initiatives supporting the fight. Furthermore, the session discussed the important role of media and civil society in countering disinformation and the need to build trust and establish tools and strategies that protect vulnerable populations, supporting digital literacy in the region.

 

The panel discussion included:

Keynote speech

Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Values and Transparency

 

Opening presentations by the organizers

Žiga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy

Iva Merheim-Eyre, Junior Program Officer at IRI’s Beacon Project

 

Panelists:

Rikard Jozwiak, Europe Editor, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Katarína Klingová, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Democracy & Resilience, GLOBSEC

Naďa Kovalčíková, Senior Researcher, EU Institute for Security Studies

Miriam Lexmann, Member of the European Parliament, EPP/Slovakia

Dórka Takacsy, Research Fellow, Centre for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Democracy (CEID)

 

The event was moderated by Danielle Piatkiewicz, Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.

The event had 65 participants. You can find a written report from the event here.

 

“Enhancing EU – India relations: A partnership beyond trade (with CEPS)”

 

When:  27th of November, from 10:00 to 11:30

Where: Place du Congrès 1, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

What:  Public expert discussion, available on Youtube.

Partner: CEPS

About: The discussion explored the potential of strengthened relations between the European Union and India, discussing the currently negotiated trade agreement between the two blocks and the importance of close cooperation in geopolitically turbulent times and growing tensions between the EU and US on one side, and China and Russia on the other. The discussion also focused on the potential of EU’s Global Gateway initiative and the dynamics of the regional cooperation in South-East Asia.

 

The panel discussion included:

Panelists:

Alica Kizeková, Senior Researcher, Institute of International Relations Prague

Zsolt Trembeczki, Research Fellow, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA)

Fanny Sauvignon, Head of Foreign Policy Unit, CEPS

 

The event was moderated by Ziga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM.

The event had 42 participants, including online participation.

The recording of the discussion is accessible through a YouTube and you can find a report from the event here.

 

“The Gender—Foreign and Security Policy Nexus: Can the EU be a Global Standard-setter?”  (with GLOBSEC; extra event)

 

When:  28th of November, from 16:30 to 17:45

Where: The Library Europe, Avenue de Broqueville 40, Brussels

What:  Public expert discussion.

 

About: The discussion highlighted the European Union’s role in shaping global standards, emphasizing its proactive foreign policy initiatives. The security implications of gender inclusivity were raised, questioning the EU’s global leadership when gender ideals are not fully realized within. The need to involve all stakeholders in the gender equality conversation, differentiating between gender equality and parity, was emphasized. CEE nations were proposed as potential leaders in setting global standards for equality, unburdened by post-colonial baggage. The importance of civil society for gender equality initiatives in foreign policy was underscored.

 

The panel discussion included:

Panelists:

Jonna NAUMANEN: Senior Adviser to the EU Ambassador for Gender and Diversity, European External Action Service

Vladislava GUBALOVA: Senior Fellow and CEE Her Initiative Lead, GLOBSEC

Danielle PIATKIEWICZ: DEP Consulting & Alliance for Democracies

 

The event was moderated by Sofiia SHEVCHUK, Founder of VONA

The event had 11 participants. You can find a report from the event here.

 

PRIVATE ROUNDATABLES

 

“The role of Central Europe in steering Serbia towards the EU”

 

When: 6^th June 2023 from 12:00 to 13:30

Where: European Parliament

What: Closed session with MEPs and assistants, policy advisors dealing with Serbia

 

About: While EU membership continues to be Serbia’s declarative long-term goal, Belgrade is yet to deliver tangible progress in any of the crucial negotiating areas. Furthermore, Russian aggression in Ukraine put Serbia’s ties with authoritarian regimes under scrutiny and there is increasing pressure to align its foreign policy with the EU and achieve progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Frustrations are growing also internally, following two mass shootings in Serbian schools and the biggest anti-government protests in more than a decade. How to avoid further stagnation of Serbia’s accession process and get the country back on track? What would such progress mean for the Western Balkans? How can the countries of Central Europe support the normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations? And what are the main takeaways from 2022 Report on Serbia?

Speakers:

Vladimír Bilčík, Member of European Parliament, EPP/Slovakia

Tomáš Strážay, Director, SFPA

Ferenc Németh, Research Fellow, HIIA

 

“The Western Balkans’ EU perspective: new impetus through normalisation of Belgrade-Pristina relations and inter-regional cooperation?”

 

When:  7th June 2023, from 10:00 to 11.30

Where: Club of the University Foundation, Rue d’Egmont 11, 1000 Brussels

What:  Expert roundtable

Partner: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Brussels Office

 

About: The event took place under the Chatham House Rule. The speakers discussed what the EU and its member states can do to ensure that the agreement is successfully implemented and how important is the EU perspective of the region. Furthermore, they explored the inter and intra-regional cooperation with a special focus on the cooperation and support of the V4 countries.

 

The panel discussion included:

Opening remarks

André Härtel, Head of Office, SWP, Brussels

Žiga Faktor, Head of Office, Europeum, Brussels

 

Panelists:

Marina Vulović, Associate, EU/Europe Division, SWP, Berlin

Jana Juzová, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Global Europe Programme, EUROPEUM, Prague

Tomasz Zornaczuk, Coordinator of Central Europe Programme, PISM, Warsaw

 

The event was moderated by Margit Wunsch Gaarmann, Visiting Fellow, SWP, Brussels.

The events had a total of 49 participants.

 

“Towards A Just Transition in Visegrad countries: mission (im)possible?”

 

When:  28th June 2023, from 15:30 to 17.00

Where: The Library Ambiorix, Square Ambiorix 10

What:  Closed expert discussion

 

About: The event took place under the Chatham House Rule. The discussion offered Central European perspective on the socio-economic challenges of decarbonization and on the instruments intended to assist in resolving them, including the Just Transition Mechanism and the Social Climate Fund. Furthermore, the discussion examinedy possibilities for strengthening both the protection of the citizens against the negative impacts of transition as well as the decarbonization commitments in the V4 countries.

 

The panel discussion included:

Panelists:

Jonathan Lyons, Associate Fellow, EUROPEUM

Martin Hojsík, MEP, Renew/Slovakia

Orsolya Ráczová, Stream Director, Economy & Business, GLOBSEC

 

About: The event took place under the Chatham House Rule. The discussion provided Central European perspective on the socio-economic challenges of decarbonization and on the instruments intended to assist in resolving them, including the Just Transition Mechanism and the Social Climate Fund. Furthermore, the discussion examined possibilities for strengthening both the protection of the citizens against the negative impacts of transition as well as the decarbonization commitments in the V4 countries.

 

The event was moderated by Žiga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.

The event had 16 participants.

 

“What future QMV in European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy?”

 

When:  5th of October, from 9:00 to 11:00 am

Where: Rue du Trône 14, 1000 Bruxelles

What:  Closed expert discussion

Partner: European Policy Centre (EPC)

 

About: Main focus of the debate was to provide an overview of the current positions of certain Member states toward a possible shift to Qualified Majority Voting in Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, and to discuss potential positive and negative aspects of this decision, taking into consideration relevant arguments that will shape the outcomes of the broader discussion on how to make the EU more actionable while protecting crucial national interests of each Member state..

 

The panel discussion included:

Opening remarks:

Jitka Látal Znamenáčková: Representative to the Political and Security Committee, Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU

Philipp Wendel: Deputy Political and Security Committee Representative, Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU

 

Panelists:

Klaus Welle: Former Secretary-General of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Martens Centre’s Academic Council

Melchior Szczepanik: Head of the Brussels Office, Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)

Suzana Elena Anghel: Policy Analyst, European Parliamentary Research Service

 

The event was moderated by Teona Lavrelashvili, European Politics and Institutions Programme, EPC.

The event had 26 participants. You can find a report from the event here.

 

“EVs, subsidies and the future of CEE industry (Ad-Hoc event)”

 

When:  24th of October, from 11:30 to 13:45 pm

Where: The Library Europe, Avenue de Broqueville 40, Brussels

What:  Closed expert discussion

Partner: OSW

 

About: The roundtable addressed challenges in the European industry. Concerns included declining competitiveness, regulatory complexities, and multinational dominance. Strategies emphasized retaining industry through localized perspectives and fostering competitiveness. Despite collaborative efforts in Central Europe, questions linger about Europe’s strategic focus. Financing, bureaucratic hurdles, tariff policies, and reconciling EU interests were identified as crucial factors in narrowing the competitive gap with China.

 

The panel discussion included:

Panelists:

Jakub Jakóbowski: Deputy Director, OSW

Konrad Popławski: Project Coordinator, Connectivity and Regional Integration, OSW

Rebeka Hengalová: Research Fellow, EUROPEUM

Vít Havelka: Head of Just Europe Programme, EUROPEUM

 

The event was moderated by Ziga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM.

The event had 16 participants. You can find a report from the event here.

 

“Impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on European Security Architecture and EU’s Eastern Neighborhood”

 

When:  25th of October, from 11:00 to 13:30

Where: University Foundation, 11 rue d’Egmont, Brussels

What:  Closed expert discussion

Partner: Fondation Robert Schuman

 

About: The discussion focused on the impacts of war in Ukraine on EU’s security and defense capabilities and also its approach towards Eastern Neighborhood. While the EU is united in responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, concerns persist about the sustainability of the support. Emphasis was placed on achieving European defense autonomy in collaboration with NATO, but potential divisions were acknowledged. The Ukraine-focused enlargement process requires reliable partnerships and stronger sanctions against Russia. The current state of the EU Neighborhood policy was discussed, with a call for a rethink of EU’s strengthened partnerships amid new political realities and differences among neighboring countries.

 

The panel discussion included:

Panelists:

Eric Maurice, Head of Brussels Office, Fondation Robert Schuman

Jana Juzová, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Global EU programme, EUROPEUM

Roland Freudenstein, Head of Brussels Office, GLOBSEC.

Hennadiy Maksak, Director, Ukraine Prism Europe

 

The event was moderated by Danielle Piatkiewicz, Research Fellow, EUROPEUM.

The event had 19 participants. You can find a report from this event here.

 

“A plan without Marshall: Getting ready for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction”

 

When:  7th of November, from 10:00am to 11:30 pm

Where: The Library Ambiorix, Square Ambiorix 10, 1000 Brussels

What:  Closed expert discussion

 

About: The speakers discussed the current capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of the EU’s approach to Ukraine’s recovery and the nexus between the successful reconstruction and the accession of Ukraine into the EU and NATO. They assessed the priority needs both for the EU and Ukraine in terms of security arrangements, Ukraine’s reform processes, and capacity building to facilitate financial support and attract further private investments.

 

The panel discussion included:

Panelists:

Daniel Szeligowski, Coordinator of Eastern Europe Programme, Polish Institute of

International Affairs (PISM), Poland

Alina Boiko, Senior Expert, Reform Support Team, Ministry of Economy, Ukraine

Wojciech Kononczuk, Director, Centre for Eastern Studies – OSW, Poland

Nataliya Andrusevych, Chair of the Board of Directors at Resource and Analysis Center “Society and Environment”, Ukraine

 

The event was moderated by Ziga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM.

The event had 17 participants. You can find a report from the event here.

 

Following researchers completed a week-long study trip to Brussels:

Jonathan Lyons (EUROPEUM) stayed in Brussels from June 26^th to 30^th 2023. The paper titled “Overcoming barriers to unlock potential for a Just Transition in Czechia” is available here.

Clement Steuer (IIR) stayed in Brussels from July 17^th to 21^st 2023. The paper is titled “Climate Change and Food Resilience in Africa and the Middle East”.

Tomasz Zajac (PISM) stayed in Brussels from September 4^th to 8^th 2023. The paper is titled “What political Landscape will emerge from 2024 EP elections”.

Alžbeta Gavalcová (SFPA) stayed in Brussels from September 4^th to 6^th 2023. The paper is titled “Barriers and Benefits to energy Communities”.

Hanga Horváth-Santha (HIIA) stayed in Brussels from October 9^th to 13^th 2023. The paper titled “The Strategic Culture of the European Union in the Sahel EU-initiatives in Niger” is available here.

Zsombor Zeöld (CEID) stayed in Brussels from November 13^th to 17^th 2023. The paper is titled “The sixth PCI list and the Visegard Group”.

Marta Szpala (OSW) stayed in Brussels from November 20^th to 24^th 2023. The paper is titled “How to make the EU ready for Enlargement: Member States’ perspective”.

Vladislava Gubalova (GLOBSEC) stayed in Brussels from November 26^th to December 1^st, 2023. The paper is titled “Preparing the EU35+: The View from Central Europe”.

PUBLIC DEBATES

 

AI Act: Regulating the Regulated? (in cooperation with European Digital Finance Association)

When:   Friday, 18th of November from 8:30 to 10:00

Where:  Thon EU Hotel, Rue de la Loi 75, 1000 Brussels

What:    Public conference

 

About: The Czech Presidency was aiming to finalize the Council’s general approach to the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) by the beginning of December. The current proposal includes, among others, provisions on general-purpose AI, regulatory sandboxes to help with testing of innovative AI projects in the real world, as well as provision in areas, which have already been dealt with in the sectoral regulation. This public event discussed the new safeguards of the Artificial Intelligence Act, how do they fit into the already existing (sectoral) regulation (eg. Charter of Fundamental Rights, GDPR, Consumer Credit Directive), and the regulatory reliefs envisaged for SMEs.

 

The panel discussion included:

Radim Polčák, Vice-rector for development, legal and information technologies, Masaryk University, Czechia

Yordanka Ivanova, Legal and Policy Officer, Artificial Intelligence Policy Development and Coordination, DG CONNECT.

Dan Flaviu Nechita, Head of Cabinet for Dragoș Tudorache, MEP, AIA rapporteur

Kai Zenner, Policy Advisor to Axel Voss, MEP, AIA rapporteur

Klára Veselá, Resistant AI, solution engineer & AI compliance

 

The discussion was moderated by Maria Staszkiewicz (Director of the European Digital Finance)

The event had 31 participants.

 

PRIVATE ROUNDTABLES

The momentum is now: Including Ukraine in the EU Enlargement Policy (with International Republican Institute Brussels)

When:   25th May 2022, from 16:00 to 17:15

Where:  The Library Europe, Avenue de Broqueville 40, 1200 W-S-L, Brussels

What:   Expert roundtable discussion

About: Granting Ukraine an EU candidate status is to bring fundamental changes to both the geography and nature of the EU enlargement policy. Although the process of enlargement towards the Western Balkans should serve as the pattern—as Serbia and Montenegro are currently the only two countries negotiating its potential membership —for Ukraine and other associated countries, the progress of the WB6 was rather symbolic in recent years due to the specific nature of the region. The motivations, however, for the EU enlargement towards Ukraine should also include those of strategic nature, which were present during the so-called big bang enlargement of 2004-2007, when—among other states— the V4 countries entered the Union. Now these countries, and most notably Poland, have a significant role to play in actions aimed at bringing Ukraine closer to the EU.

Panelists:

Tomasz Zornaczuk, Coordinator of Central Europe Programme, Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)

Žiga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy

Iva Merheim-Eyre, Programme Officer, International Republican Institute

 

The event was moderated by Jana Juzová, Senior Researcher, EUROPEUM.

The event had 11 participants

 

Work in Progress: Reforming EU’s Migration and Asylum policy vis-à-vis French and Czech presidencies to the Council of the EU (in cooperation with Egmont Institute)

When:   12th July 2022, from 17:00 to 19:00

Where:  Egmont Palace, Place du Petit Sabon 8, 1000 Brussels

What:   Expert roundtable discussion

 

About: The roundtable organized in collaboration with the Egmont Institute focused on the topic of migration and asylum policy on the background of the Czech and French presidencies of the Council. Specifically, the experts discussed the so-called “phased approach” towards the Migration Pact, the future of a more united approach towards the common migration and asylum policy, and the possible role of the Czech presidency in these developments, such as the implementation of Eurodac or granting visa liberalization to Kosovo.

 

The panel discussion included:

Opening remarks:

Štěpán Černý, Director of European Policies Department, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

 

Panelists:

Jolanta Szymanska, Coordinator of European Programme, PISM

Jean Louis de Brouwer, Director of European Programme, Egmont Institute

Marie de Somer, Head of European Migration and Diversity program, EPC

 

The event was moderated by Žiga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM.

The event had 36 participants

 

Keeping the Enlargement policy in ch(z)eck: How to steer the Western Balkans towards the EU in times of Geopolitical Earthquakes? (in cooperation with SWP Brussels Office)

When:    13th July from 9:30 to 11:00

Where:   Brussels Office of SWP, Bd Saint-Michel 80, 1040, Etterbeek

What:   Expert roundtable discussion

 

About: The discussion followed up on June meeting of the European Council under the French Presidency, which resulted in a bitter-sweet combination of high hopes for Ukraine and Moldova on one side and disappointment for the Western Balkans on the other side. As the Czech Presidency inherited the Enlargement policy in a state of despair with the challenge of restoring credibility to the process, the speakers discussed how can the Czech Presidency use the momentum created by the war in Ukraine to achieve tangible progress for the Western Balkans. Moreover, it has been asked if there’s a real prospect of reaching a compromise between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, what might be the chances of Bosnia and Herzegovina fulfilling the criteria set by the EC to obtain its candidate status, and how the EU should deal with Serbia’s East-leaning foreign policy.

 

The panel discussion included:

Dušan Reljič, Head of Brussels Office, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) Tomáš Strážay, Director, Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA)

Margit Wunsch Gaarmann, Visiting Fellow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)

Ferenc Németh, Research Fellow, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT)

 

The event was moderated by Žiga Faktor, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy

The event had 27 participants.

 

From Prague to Chișinău: What future for the European Political Community?

When:  Tuesday, 29 November 2022 from 10:00 to 11:15

Where: The Library Ambiorix, Square Ambiorix 10, 1000 Brussels

What:   Expert roundtable discussion

 

About:    This small closed-door round table aimed at bringing together think tankers and diplomats dealing with the European Political Community to explore ideas about the way forward and assess the EPC’s ambitions for the upcoming years. The discussion focused primarily on the outcomes of the Prague Summit and the future role of EPC in areas that are already covered by other organizations such as OSCE, CoE, Energy Community or the EU itself.

 

The panel discussion included:

Charles Grant, Director, Centre for European Reform

Roland Freudenstein, Vice-president and Director of Brussels Office, GLOBSEC

Jan Kovář, Deputy Director of Research, IIR Prague

 

The event was moderated by Camino Mortera-Martínez (Head of the Brussels Office, Centre for European Reform) The event had 13 participants

 

Rethinking European Energy Security

 

When:   Wednesday 30th November 2022, from 14:00 to 15:30

Where:   Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Brussels, Rue du Luxembourg 47, 1050 Ixelles

What:   Hybrid expert roundtable discussion

 

About:   The roundtable gathered various experts from non-governmental organizations and European Institutions in order to discuss the current energy crisis and its implications on European security with a focus on the case of Central Europe. This discussion touched upon concrete collective efforts leading to enhanced European cooperation such as RePowerEU or Energy Platform Task Forces. Touching upon other various topics, the experts exchanged opinions also on the Central and Eastern European region, which is more vulnerable towards Russian influence and lacks behind in renewables and self-independence in economic terms, and on the foreign influence of Russia and China.

 

The panel discussion included:

Speakers:          

Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General, DG ENER, European Commission

Michael Bloss, Member of the European Parliament, Die Grunne (DE), Greens/EFA

Luděk Niedermayer, Member of the European Parliament, TOP 09 (CZ), EPP

 

Commentators:

Agata Loskot Strachota, Project coordinator, Energy in Europe Project, OSW

Michal Hrubý, Researcher, EUROPEUM

Maria Pastukhova, Senior Policy Advisor in E3G’s Berlin office

 

The event was moderated by Martin Keim, Head of Programme for European Energy Transition, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Brussels

The event had 24 participants.

 

Following researchers completed a week-long study trip to Brussels:

Tomasz Žornaczuk (PISM) stayed in Brussels from May 23^rd to 27^th 2022. The paper titled “Demand the impossible: How Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership” is available here.

Christian Kvorning Lassen (EUROPEUM) stayed in Brussels from June 20^th to 22^nd 2022. The paper titled “The New Pact on Migration and Asylum and the war in Ukraine: time for a paradigm shift?” is available here.

Mila O’Sullivan (IIR) stayed in Brussels from October 3^rd to 7^th 2022. The paper titled “Gendering Europe’s Security and Recovery Responses to Ukraine” is available here.

Orsolya Ráczová (GLOBSEC) stayed in Brussels from November 14^th to 17^th 2022. The paper titled “The lingering war in Ukraine: Security implications in Europe” is available here.

Lucia Rybnikárová (GLOBSEC) stayed in Brussels from November 21^st to 24^th 2022. The paper titled “In search for a more effective EU foreign and security policy: Can Central Europe seize its momentum?” is available here.

Ferenc Németh (IFAT) stayed in Brussels from November 29^th to December 1^st, 2022. The paper titled “Serbia and its foreign policy alignment after the war in Ukraine” is available here.

Ivana Uličná (SFPA) stayed in Brussels from November 30^th to December 2^nd, 2022. The paper “Shifting the gender quota debate from underrepresentation of women to overrepresentation of men within diplomacy” is available here.

Dorka Takácsy (CEID) stayed in Brussels from December 11^th to 15^th 2022. The paper titled “Resilience building in the V4 against disinformation about the Russian-Ukrainian War” is available here.

Miroslava Pisklová (SFPA) stayed in Brussels from December 12^th to 15^th 2022. The paper titled “QMV in CFSP: Impending necessity or resurfacing utopia” is available here.

Krzysztof Nieczypor (OSW) stayed in Brussels from December 12^th to 17^th 2022. The paper titled “Ukraine’s integration with the EU in the context of the War” is available here.

PUBLIC DEBATES

“Perceptions of EU in Central Europe amid COVID-related crisis”

When:     Thursday, 23 March 2021, 17:00 – 18:30

Where:    Online via ZOOM with streaming on Facebook

What:      Online public debate

About:    The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest challenges the EU has ever faced, further exacerbated by the narratives of some member countries, which eagerly use the EU as a scapegoat for its own negligence and to advance their domestic political agenda. At the event, experts reflected on the Central European countries’ perception of the EU, considering the recent developments of the COVID-related crisis.

The panel discussion included:

Key-note speech: Vladimír Bilčík (Member of European Parliament)

 

Speakers:

• Vladislava Gubalova (Research Fellow, GLOBSEC Policy Institute)
• Vít Havelka (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy)
• Velina Tchakarova (Director, Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy)
• Karolina Zbytniewska (Editor in Chief, EurActiv Poland)
• Nikolett Garai (Research Fellow, IFAT)

 

The discussion was moderated by Žiga Faktor (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy);

 

The event had 1k views on Facebook and was followed live by 45 participants.

You can find the recording of the discussion here and a written report from the event here.

 

“V4 and larger regional platforms: Convergence or competition?”

When:      Wednesday, 21 April 2021, from 10:00 to 11:15

Where:     Online on ZOOM Webinars

What:      Online public debate, viewers were able to ask questions through comments through the Q&A section

About:      Main focus of the discussion was the impact of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) and the 17+1        platform on the cooperation within the Visegrad Group and its compliance with the platforms mentioned.

The panel discussion included:

• Alica Kizeková (Senior Researcher, Institute of International Relations Prague)
• Konrad Poplawski (Head of Central European Department, OSW Centre for Eastern Studies)
• Tomáš Strážay (Director, Slovak Foreign Policy Association – SFPA)
• Márton Ugrósdy (Director, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade – IFAT)

 

The event was moderated by Jana Juzová (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy).

The event had 51 participants.

You can find the written report from the event here.

 

“Impact of New Technologies on International Relations: Digital Threats to Democracy”

When:   Wednesday, 13 October 2021, 10:30 – 12:00

Where: Online via ZOOM, streaming on Facebook

What:  Public debate, viewers could ask questions through comments on Social Media streaming.

About:                 The panelists discussed the role of new technologies in our everyday life as drivers of our economy, society and politics, the relationship between technology and international relations challenges that could become a threat to the stability of democracy and security.

The panel discussion included:

• Markéta Gregorová (Member of European Parliament, Greens&EFA)
• Edina Heal (Member of Advisory Board at Equilibrium Institute; former CEO of Google Hungary)
• Linda Monsees (Senior Researcher at Institute of International Relations Prague)
• Dominika Hajdu (Policy Director at Center for Democracy and Resilience, GLOBSEC)

 

The discussion was moderated by Katherine Klačanský (Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy).

 

The event had 600 views on Facebook and was followed live by 40 viewers.

You can find a recording of the discussion here.

 

“The New Enlargement Methodology: Is the revised enlargement methodology delivering?”

When:      Wednesday, 24 November 2021, from 09:00 to 10:30

Where:    Hybrid event with speakers and limited audience present in Brussels, rest connecting remotely

What:      Public webinar streamed on Youtube, viewers were able to ask questions through comments in ZOOM

About:      The discussion focused on the aspects of the revised methodology presented by the European Commission in 2020 and the effects it can have on the current state of the enlargement process.

The panel discussion included:

Welcome words:

Steven Blockmans, Director of Research, CEPS

 

Opening statement:

• Dragan Tilev, State Counselor, Secretariat for European Affairs, Government of the Republic of North Macedonia
• Thomas Hagleitner, Head of Unit for Western Balkans Policy and Regional, DG NEAR, European Commission
• Tomáš Strážay, Director, Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
• Marta Szpala, Senior Fellow, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW)

 

Moderated by Jana Juzová (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy).

 

The event has 130 views on Youtube and was followed by 45 live participants.

You can find a recording of the discussion here.

 

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

“Online Discussion: Visegrad perspectives on the “Fit for 55” climate package”

When:      Thursday, 20 May 2021, 14:00 – 15:15

Where:    Online via ZOOM

What:      Online Expert Exchange held under Chatham House Rules, co-organized by Centre for Transport and Energy (Czechia)

About:     The debate focused on the Central and Eastern European countries’ perceptions of the EU 2030 climate targets, establishing at least 55% emissions cut compared to 1990 levels, and the challenges the V4 countries will face when implementing this new target.

The panel discussion included:

• Jaroslav Zajíček (Permanent Representative to COREPER I Czech Republic)
• Monika Figaj (Counsellor to the Minister, Ministry of Climate and Environment, Poland)
• István Bart (Managing Director, Climate Strategy 2050 Institute)
• Kateřina Davidová (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy and Project Manager, Center for Transport and Energy)
• Zuzanna Nowak (Research Fellow, PISM)
• Nolan Thiesen Research Fellow, GLOBSEC Policy Institute)

 

The discussion was moderated by Žiga Faktor (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy).

You can find a written report with a list of participants here.

 

“Deadlock on New Pact on Migration and Asylum: Seeking for a compromise“

When:     Friday, 22 October, 2021, from 10:30 to 12:00

Where:    Square Ambiorix 10, 1000 Brussels (The Library Ambiorix)

About:     The event was held under the Chatham House Rules, with the participation of experts from the think-tank community as well as diplomats, representatives of the European Commission and UNHCR. Main focus was on the current state of the EU migration policy and the proposed New pact on Migration and Asylum. Speakers were also discussing the migratory waves from Belarus, that affected especially Poland and Lithuania.

Co-organized with the Wilfried Martens Centre.

The panel discussion included:

Keynote speech:  Michael Shotter (Director Migration, Asylum and Visa, DG HOME)

Discussants:

• Vít Novotný (Senior Research Office, Wilfried Martens Centre)
• Peter Stepper (Senior Research Fellow, IFAT)
• Jolanta Szymanska (Head of the EU Programme, PISM)

 

The discussion was moderated by Žiga Faktor (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy) and attended by 14 experts.

You can find a written report here.

 

“Stocktaking and Evaluating EU defence cooperation – expectations and the role of the V4”

When:    8^th December from 16:30 to 18:00

Where:    Avenue de Broqueville 40, 1200 Woluwe Saint Lambert and online

About:      This hybrid event discussed the latest developments in the NATO Strategic Concept and European defence autonomy debate. In addition, they focused on how Central and Eastern Europe, in particular countries of the Visegrad group, affect the process. The event was co-organized with Egmont Institute.

The panel discussion included:

 

• Matúš Halás, Deputy Director of Research, IIR Prague
• Justyna Gotkowska, Coordinator of Regional Security Programme, Center for Eastern Studies (OSW)
• Sven Biscop, Director of Europe in the World Programme, Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations
• Barbora Maronková, Communication Advisor on Strategic Concept, NATO

 

The discussion was moderated by Danielle Piatkiewicz (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy) and attended by 11 experts in person, and 7 connecting online.

You can find a written report here.

 

THINK VISEGRAD CONFERENCE

 

Think Visegrad conference, organised on 22 November, was indeed a highlight of this years’ activities in Brussels. The conference was divided into two parts. Morning closed session with representatives of European Commission focused on the currently ongoing Conference on the Future of Europe and its implementation in the Visegrad countries. Afternoon sessions were open to the public, and thus we had a chance to welcome more than 60 attendees at the Permanent Representation of Czechia to the EU. Within two panel discussions and keynote speeches from Ambassadors of Czechia, Hungary and also Director of the International Visegrad Fund, participants elaborated on the ongoing Conference on the Future of Europe and also commemorated 30 years of Visegrad cooperation.

 

You can find a written report about the event here.

 

“Closed roundtable discussion: 30 Years of Visegrad: Role of the V4 countries in shaping the future of the EU”

When:     Monday, 22 November 2021, from 10:00 to 11:30

Where:    Avenue de Broqueville 40, 1200, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

About:     Morning closed session with representatives of the European Commission focused on the Conference on the Future of Europe and served as a platform for an open discussion among the representatives of think tanks and the European Commission about the main concerns connected to the initiative. A closed discussion was held under the Chatham House Rule. Think-tankers from Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia presented their insights on how the Conference on the Future of Europe is perceived in their countries. Their presentations were followed by an open discussion among the participants of the event.

The panel discussion included:

Czech Republic: Alica Kizeková (Senior Researcher, IIR Prague), Zuzana Stuchlíková(Associate Fellow, EUROPEUM)

Hungary: Tamás Péter Baranyi (Deputy Director, IFAT), Dániel Bártha (President, CEID)

Poland: Melchior Szczepanik (Analyst, PISM), Jakub Jakobowski (Project Coordinator, OSW)

Slovakia: Lucia Rybnikárová (Project Coordinator, GLOBSEC), Miroslava Pisklová (Research Fellow, RC SFPA)

 

Commentaries by Eduard Hulicius (Member of Cabinet of VP Věra Jourová), Camille Hubac (Member of Cabinet of VP Maroš Šefčovič) and Mattia de’ Grassi (Member of Cabinet of VP Dubravka Šuica).

The discussion was moderated by Žiga Faktor (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy)

 

Public panel discussion: “Perspectives of the Visegrad countries on the Conference of the Future of Europe”

When:     Monday, 22 November 2021, from 16:45 to 17:45

Where:    Premises of Permanent Representation of Czechia to the EU in Brussels

The panel discussion included:

• H.E. Edita Hrdá (Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Czechia to the EU)
• H.E. Petra Vargová (Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the EU)
• H.E. Tibor Stelbaczky (Ambassador of Hungary to the EU)
• Colin Scicluna (Head of Cabinet of Vice-president Dubravka Šuica)

 

Moderated by: Aneta Zachová (EurActiv.cz).

 

Panel Discussion: “30 years of Visegrad: How did regional cooperation shape the countries of V4”

 

When:     Monday, 22 November 2021, from 18:15 to 19:15

Where:    Premises of Permanent Representation of Czechia to the EU  in Brussels

The panel discussion included:

• Alica Kizeková (Senior Researcher, IIR Prague)
• Daniel Bártha (Director of International Relations, Equilibrium Institute)
• Melchior Szczepanik (Analyst, PISM)
• Roland Freudenstein (Vice President and the Head of Brussels Office, GLOBSEC Policy Institute)
• Petr Mareš (Director of International Visegrad Fund)

 

Moderated by: Zuzana Stuchlíková (Associate Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy).

 

Following researchers completed a week-long study trip to Brussels:

Asya Metodieva (IIR) stayed in Brussels from July 25^th to 30^th 2021. The paper titled “Terrorism, Cryptocurrencies and the EU response” is available here.

Jakub Jakóbowski (OSW) stayed in Brussels from November 15^th to 23^rd 2021. The Paper titled “Responding to China’s connectivity agenda in EU’s Neighborhood: a Central European perspective” is available here.

Juraj Sýkora (SFPA) stayed in Brussels from  July 19^th to 26^th 2021. The Paper titled “New START Treaty – State, future and implications for the EU and V4” is available here.

Łukasz Ogrodnik (PISM) stayed in Brussels from November 16^th to 23^rd 2021. The Paper titled “Czechia’s Policies within the EU in the Context of the Upcoming Presidency to the EU Council” is available here.

Michael Van Ginkel (IFAT) stayed in Brussels from November 16^th to 23^rd 2021. The Paper titled “Black Sea Synergy: Adopting a Holistic Approach to Maritime Security” is available here.

Ondřej Horký-Hlucháň (IIR) stayed in Brussels from September 13^th to 17^th 202. The Paper titled “Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development: A troubleshooting guide for reluctant EU donors” is available here.

Sara Nowacka (PISM) stayed in Brussels from November 17^th to 23^rd 2021. The Paper titled “Between Pragmatism and Principles – The EU and the Consolidation of Authoritarianism in its Southern Neighbourhood” is available here.

Vít Havelka (EUROPEUM) stayed in Brussels from September 16^th to October 3^rd 2021. The Paper titled “New Sources of the EU Budget” is available here.

Michal Hrubý (EUROPEUM) stayed in Brussels from September 13^th to 17^th 2021. The paper titled “Potential for CCS in V4 – will we seize the momentum?” is available here.

Peter Stepper (IFAT) stayed in Brussels from September 13^th to 17^th 2021. The paper titled “V4 in Brussels – A reality check of the international perspective on Visegrad cooperation” is available here.

Tamáš Boros (CEID) stayed in Brussels from November 22^nd to 26^th 2021. The paper titled “Reducing poverty in the Visegrad countries” is available here.

Karolína Klingová (GLOBSEC) stayed in Brussels from October 22^nd to 26^th 2021. The paper titled “EU’s Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising: Good Intentions but Clarifications and Amendments still Needed” is available here.

Agata Łoskot-Strachota (OSW) stayed in Brussels from October 18^th to 22^nd 2021. The paper titled “The future of natural gas in the EU” is available here.

PUBLIC DEBATES

“EU Enlargement during the Coronavirus Crisis”

When:   Thursday, 23 April 2020, 16:00 – 18:00

Where: Online via ZOOM, live streaming on FB

What:    Public debate, viewers were able to ask questions through comments on Social Media streaming

About:   The event was held online due to the situation over the coronavirus pandemic. Experts reflected on the recent developments, such as introducing a revised enlargement methodology and opening the accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. The debate also focused on the implications of the health crises and the future perspectives of the region after the pandemic.

The panel discussion included:

• Tomáš Strážay (Director, Slovak Foreign Policy Association);
• Jana Juzová (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy);
• Tomasz Żornaczuk (Head of Central Europe Department and Senior Research Fellow on Western Balkans, PISM);
• Vladimír Bilčík (Member of the European Parliament, EPP, Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee).

 

The discussion was moderated by Zuzana Stuchlíková (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy);

 

The event had 2.1k views on Facebook and was followed by 70 live participants on average.

You can find the recording of the discussion here and a written report from the event here.

 

“A hard reset for EU-Africa relations? Visegrád perspectives for a post-pandemic era”

When:   Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 17:30 – 19:00

Where: Online via ZOOM, streaming on FB

What:    Public debate, viewers were able to ask questions through comments on Social Media streaming

About:   The event focused on the new Strategy for Africa that the European Commission presented at the beginning of March. Moreover, it addressed the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Partnership and reflected on the Visegrád countries’ specific role in Africa.

The panel discussion included:

• Ondřej Horký Hlucháň (Senior Research Fellow, IIR Prague),
• István Tarrósy (Associate Professor, University of Pécs; Associate Research Fellow, IFAT),
• Jędrzej Czerep (Analyst, PISM),
• Nicole Gerlis Bleier (International Aid/Cooperation Officer, DG DEVCO at the European Commission)

 

The discussion was moderated by Zuzana Stuchlíková (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy);

The event had 2.1k views on Facebook and was followed by 70 live participants on average.

You can find the recording of the discussion here and a written report from the event here.

 

“Eastern Partnership at the Turn of a New Decade: Continuing with Uncertainty or Ideal Conditions?”

When:   Monday, June 22, 2020, 17:30 – 19:15

Where: Online via ZOOM, streaming on FB

What:    Public debate, viewers were able to ask questions through comments on Social Media streaming; cooperation with Association for International Affairs (AMO)

About:   The debate focused on the recent developments of the European Union’s cooperation with the Eastern Partnership and the developments of the latest Eastern Partnership Summit developments. Also, the role of the Visegrad countries in the cooperation was discussed, while the speakers also addressed the possible effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The panel discussion included:

Keynote Speech: Lawrence Meredith (Director for Neighbourhood East, DG NEAR, European Commission)

• Wojciech Kononczuk (Deputy Director, OSW),
• Alisa Muzergues (Research Fellow, GLOBSEC),
• Sandor Seremet (Associated Fellow, IFAT)
• Pavel Havlíček (Research Fellow, AMO)

Closing Remarks: Jaroslav Kurfurst (Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership, MFA, Czechia)

The discussion was moderated by Věra Řiháčková Pachta (Advocacy Manager, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and Associate Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy)

The event had 2.2k views on Facebook and was followed by 65 live participants on average.

You can find the recording of the discussion here and a written report from the event here.

 

“Responsible global leadership – How can the V4 countries contribute to a stronger Europe on the global scale”

When:   Thursday, October 29, 2020, from 17:30 to 19:30

Where:                Online via ZOOM, streamed live on FB

What:    Public debate, viewers were able to ask questions through comments on Social Media streaming

About:      The debate focused on how can the EU potentially leverage a global leadership position and how can the V4 engage in strengthening such a role. Topics such as European Foreign Policy, relations with the countries of Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership or the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic was discussed among the panellists.  Also, experts shared their views on the potential of the V4 within the EU, its political reputation and the ways V4 countries can influence the decision making process of the EU more effectively.

The panel discussion included:

Keynote speech: Aleš Chmelař (Deputy Minister for European Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czechia)

• Vladimír Bartovic (Director, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy)
• Márton Ugrósdy (Director, IFAT)
• Lukasz Ogrodnik (Analyst, PISM)

The discussion was moderated by Jana Juzová (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy)

The event had 6.9k views on Facebook and was followed by 80 live participants on average.

You can find the recording of the discussion here and a written report from the event here.

 

“A Europe fit for digital age – Challenges regarding the development of 5G Networks in Europe and in V4 countries”

When:   Thursday, December 17, 2020, from 17:00 to 18:30

Where: Online Via ZOOM, streamed live on FB

What:    Public debate, viewers were able to ask questions through comments on Social Media streaming

About: The debate focused on implementing the 5G Action Plan, which European Commission presented in 2016, as 5G Networks should play an important role not only in the agenda of digitalisation but also in the European Green Deal. Apart from the technical aspects of digitalisation, the panellists also discussed security issues connected to the technology and disinformation theories surrounding the network’s development.

The panel discussion included:

• Markéta Gregorová(Member of the European Parliament, Greens/EFA, Czechia)
• Gergély Varga(Senior Research Fellow, IFAT, Hungary)
• Konrad Poplawski (Head of Central European Department, OSW, Poland)
• Pavel Havlíček (Research Fellow, AMO, Czechia)
• Ari Sorsaniemi(Policy & Programme Officer, DG Connect, European Commission)

The discussion was moderated by Žiga Faktor (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy)

The event had 1.7k views on Facebook and was followed by 55 live participants on average.

You can find the recording of the discussion here and a written report from the event here.

 

PRIVATE ROUNDTABLES

“V4 Climate Policies vis-à-vis the updated EU climate targets”

When:  Tuesday, October 6, 2020, 14:00 – 15:30

Where: Online via ZOOM

What:   Closed round table, held under Chatham House rules, co-organized by Centre for Transport and Energy (Czechia)

About:   The debate focused on the most recent updates of the EU’s 2030 climate targets and how the Visegrad group’s four members perceive them. The format of a roundtable provided the event with the possibility of bringing together state representatives of V4 and experts from ThinkVisegrad members with representatives from European institutions to discuss the updated climate targets presented by the European Commission.

The panel discussion included:

• Monika Figaj (Counselor to the Minister, Ministry of Climate, Poland)
• Balász Tóth (Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, Climate attaché)
• Nolan Theisen (Research Fellow, GLOBSEC)
• Tomáš Jungwirth (Research Fellow, AMO)
• András Déak (Research Fellow, CEID)

 

The discussion was moderated by Katerina Davidova (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy).

You can find a written report with a list of participants here.

 

“The role of Central Europe in the EU-Asia Connectivity Strategy”

When:  Monday, 21^st December 2020, from 10:00 to 11:00

Where:                Online Via ZOOM

About:   Private roundtable which gathered researchers from Central Europe together with organisations based in Brussels. The discussion focused on the Connectivity partnerships between EU and Asian countries (for ex. Japan, South Korea), their importance for the economies and the continuation of friendly relations with such countries. Also, the experts commented on the current worsening relationship between the EU and China and discussed the compliance between the EU Asia Connectivity Strategy and Belt and Road Initiative.

The panel discussion included:

• Tereza Novotná(Senior Associate Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic)
• Gergély Salát (Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary)
• Justyna Szczudlik (Head of Asia-Pacific Program, Polish Institute of International Affairs, Poland)
• Matej Šimalčík (Executive Director, Central European Institute for Asian Studies)

 

The discussion was moderated by Žiga Faktor (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy)

You can find a written report with a list of participants here.

 

Research visits in Brussels were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic

 

PUBLIC DEBATES

 

“15 years in the EU: What have we learned?”

The conference “15 years in the EU: What have we learned?” took place on Monday, May 20^th 2019, from 18:00 to 21:00 at Prague House (Avenue Palmerston 16, Brussels). The Think Visegrad Platform organised the event in cooperation with the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic and the Prague house.

The speakers discussed the achievements of the “new” member states and their developments as EU members in light of the 15^th anniversary of the 2004 enlargement. They weighted on the role of Central Europe in the EU and whether the states were able to establish themselves as “fully-fledged” members of the EU.

The event was moderated by Mr. Martin Michelot, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy and the opening remarks were provided by Ms. Milena Hrdinková, State Secretary for European Affairs, Czech Republic and H. E. Jakub Dürr, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU. The panel discussion was followed by a light refreshment and a glass of wine.

The following panel featured:

• Vladimír Bartovic, Director, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic
• Orsolya Raczova, Research Fellow, GLOBSEC, Slovakia
• Sándor Gyula Nagy, Deputy Director for Research, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary
• Jakub Groszkowski, Head of Central European Department, Centre for Eastern Studies, Poland

 

The event attracted more than 90 participants across the Brussels community and was one of the highlights of this year’s program. The debate was very well received by our guests and speakers. It was unique for only featuring TVB experts in the main panel – the nature of the topic allowed us not to involve EU officials and other member states, which is usually the case.

You can find the full report from the event and a gallery here.

 

“Opening accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia: lessons of the past”

The event was organised in cooperation with the European Neighbourhood Council and

Open Society European Policy Institute took place on Thursday, June 13^th 2019, from 16:00 to 18:00

At premises of OSEPI (Rue du Trône 130, 1050 Bruxelles).

In the light of the (then) upcoming European Council discussions and potential decision on opening accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, the debate focused on expectations on both sides and past experiences of enlargement in Western Balkans. The special introductory remarks were delivered by H. E. Suela Janina, Ambassador of Albania to the EU and Mr. Vlatko Stankovski, Deputy Head of Mission of North Macedonia to the EU. The debate was moderated by Ms. Jana Juzová (Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy).

The panel discussion Included:

• Marta Szpala, Senior Research Fellow, Central European Department, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), Poland
• Clive Rumbold, Deputy Head of the Western Balkans Division, EEAS
• Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, Managing Director, European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), Belgium
• Srdjan Cvijic, Senior Policy Analyst, Open Society European Policy Institute (OSEPI), Belgium

 

More than 40 people participated in the discussion, among them representatives of many Western Balkans countries. The event was praised for its useful timing ahead of the European Council and for the presence of all relevant stakeholders, including partners from the Western Balkans. The speakers agreed that inactivity on the side of the EU could hamper the credibility of the enlargement process.

You can find the report from the event with a more detailed description and a gallery here.

 

“Implications of Brexit for EU Decision Making”

The conference, organised by the Think Visegrad Platform, took place on Thursday, November 28^th  2019, from 15:00 to 17:00 at Press Club Brussels (Rue Froissart 95, 1000 Bruxelles).

In the light of an ongoing Brexit debate, this event aimed to seek answers on what impacts will the new situation have on the decision-making process in the European Union after the United Kingdom leaves. What impact will the Brexit have on the traditional allies, and can we predict changes in new alliances?

 

The event was opened by a keynote speech by Ms. Zuzana Stuchlíková (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy), and the following panel discussion was moderated by Ms. Orsolya Raczova (Research Fellow, GLOBSEC). A coffee break was prepared for the guests.

The panel discussion featured:

• Daniel Naurin, Professor, University of Oslo, Norway
• Nikolett Garai, Research Fellow, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary
• Vít Havelka, Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic

The event attracted nearly 35 people and had a very lively Q&A session. The conclusions presented by the speakers assume that more countries will seek new coalition partners and, most likely, with the bigger Member States. Factors like a change of government might play a role, or most likely, the issue-by-issue approach might be the most used.

 

You can find the full report from the event and a gallery here.

 

“European Foreign Policy towards Eastern Europe: Future of Eastern Partnership beyond 2020”

The conference titled “European Foreign Policy towards Eastern Europe: Future of Eastern Partnership beyond 2020” was co-organized with Association for International Affairs and the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU on Wednesday, December 4^th 2019, from 9:00 to 12:00 at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU (Rue Caroly 15, 1050 Brussels).

The event was organised on the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership launch. The aim was to reflect on ensuring that the Eastern Partnership stays as a relevant policy concept beyond 2020.

The event was opened by keynote speeches by H.E. Tomas Szunyog, Permanent Representative to the Political and Security Committee, Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU; and Ms. Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General of DG NEAR, European Commission.

The event consisted of two panels.

Panel I: Political and security aspects of the future Eastern Partnership

• Jaroslav Kurfurst, Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership, Czech MFA
• Alisa Muzergues, Research Fellow, GLOBSEC
• Luc Devigne, Deputy Managing Director, Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia and OSCE, EEAS
• Moderator: Pavel Havlicek, Analyst, Association for International Affairs, Czechia

Panel II: Economic dimension and shape of the EaP beyond 2020

• Daniel Szeligowski, Head of Eastern Europe Programme & Senior Research Fellow on Ukraine, Polish Institute for International Affairs, Poland
• Sandor Ackermann, Analyst, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary
• Yurii Vdovenko, Deputy Chairman of the Boar, Head of Economic euro integration of Ukraine Studies, UA PRISM, Ukraine
• Moderator: Zuzana Stuchlikova, Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Belgium

The event was attended by app. 50 people. You can find the report and pictures here.

 

PUBLIC EVENTS

“Overcoming Dividing Lines in Europe”

The interactive workshop was organised by the TVB within the Jubel European Democracy festival and took place on 7th September 2019 in Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels.

 

The debate was moderated by Ms. Zuzana Stuchlíková (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM) and

Mr. Jiří Lacina (Communications Coordinator, EUROPEUM) and attracted 15 discussing participants in total.

 

You can find the report from the event and a gallery here.

 

PRIVATE ROUNDTABLES

“Tackling global protectionism – European views and responses”

The roundtable titled ‘Tackling global protectionism – European views and responses’ was co-organized by the Think Visegrad Platform and the European Policy Centre. It took place on Tuesday 3^rd of December 2019 at EPC Auditorium (Rue du Trône 14-16, 1000 Bruxelles).

The event, held under the Chatham House rule, was moderated by Mr. Giovanni Grevi (Head of Europe in the World programme, European Policy Centre) and included four main speakers:

• Mr Jarolím Antal (Director, Centre for European Studies, University of Economics, Prague)
• Mr Konrad Popławski (Senior Fellow, Centre for Eastern Studies)
• Ms Elvire Fabry (Senior Researcher, Jacques Delors Institute)
• Ms Maria Linder (DG Trade, European Commission).

The meeting was attended by representatives of European Commission, Member States, business representations or various think-tanks and research institutions. The debate focused on different national perspectives on tackling global protectionism and priorities for the EU trade agenda.

The expert roundtable attracted 24 guests (full capacity), among them representatives of the private sector, European Commission, PermReps and others. You can see the whole report from the event and a gallery here.

 

“The future of the EU-UK security relationship seen from Central Europe”

The event “The future of the EU-UK security relationship seen from Central Europe” was organised by the Think Visegrad Brussels in cooperation with the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU Tuesday 9th of April 2019, from 16:00 to 18:00 at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU.

The roundtable aimed at bringing forward opinions and ideas from different actors within the EU regarding the topic of future EU-UK security relationships, with a special accent on the perspective of Central European countries.

Four panellists provided introductory remarks:

• E. Tomáš Szunyog, Deputy Head of the Czech Permanent Representation to the EU and Permanent Representative to PSC
• E. Paul Johnston, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the PSC
• Tania Latici, Policy Analyst at the European Parliament Research Service
• Piotr Szymanski, Research Fellow at the Center for Eastern Studies, Poland.

 

The event was moderated by Mr. Martin Michelot, Deputy Director at EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy. The roundtable was attended by participants from Permanent Representation to the EU of many European countries and representatives from defence and security-oriented institutes. The event followed the Chatham House rule and attracted 23 guests (full capacity).

 

You can find the full report and pictures here.

 

Following researchers completed a week-long study trip to Brussels:

Daniel Bartha (CEID) stayed in Brussels from May 6^th to 10^th 2019. Paper titled “Do we need new foundations? Institutional questions ahead of the new EU Commission” is available here.

Patrik Kováč (SFPA) came to Brussels for the week from June 24^th to 29^th  2018, his paper is titled “Representation of the regions in the European Union: the V4 experience”.

Gergely Varga (IFAT) underwent her research fellowship from October 14^th to 18^th  2019, his paper “The V4 and the European Defence Initiatives” can be found here.

Ryszarda Formuszewicz (OSW) conducted her research in Brussels between October 14^th to 18^th  2019, his paper is titled “EU Climate Policy as a challenge for Central Europe” and can be found here.

Zuzana Podracká (GLOBSEC) came to Brussels between October 15^th and 19^th 2018, her paper “Myths and realities of an East-West divide in EU policymaking: A case study of V4’s approach to the 2019 Spitzenkandidaten selection process” can be read here.

Alica Kizeková (IIR) stayed in Brussels from April 8^th to 12^th 2019, her paper “The European Union in Central Asia: Balancing Competing Actors and Opportunities for the V4 Countries” can be found here.

Bartosz Bieliszczuk (PISM) came to Brussels from 19^th to 23^rd November 2018 and wrote paper “How electromobility can drive Visegrad cooperation”.

Louis Cox-Brusseau (EUROPEUM) conducted her research in Brussels between September 9^th and 13^th 2019, and wrote a paper titled “An Inhospitable Climate: Why the V4 Needs to Wake Up on Climate Security”.

External activities – Public events

 

“Echoes of the EU – Western Balkans Summit: New beginning?”

The conference “Echoes of the EU – Western Balkans Summit: New beginning?” took place on Wednesday, 23rd of May 23, 2018, from 14:00 until 16:00 at the European Parliament. The event was organized by the Think Visegrad Platform in cooperation with Mr. Eduard Kukan, Member of the European Parliament (member of the AFET committee and chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, EPP/Slovakia).

 

The speakers discussed the developments in the region and the challenges of the enlargement process, in the light of the Sofia Summit, which took place a week earlier, on 17th of May 2018.

 

The event was moderated by Ms. Jana Juzová, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy and the keynote speech was provided by Ms. Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, Director for Western Balkans at the Directorate General for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations. Light refreshments were served after the event.

 

Following panel featured:

• Eduard Kukan (European Parliament)
• Anna Orosz (IFAT)
• Tomasz Zornaczuk (PISM)
• Genoveva Ruiz Calavera (European Commission)

 

In the second part of the conference, the MEPs present were invited to share their comments and remarks:

• Cristian Dan Preda (Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP)
• Igor Šoltes (Vice Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, Rapporteur for Kosovo, Greens)
• Alojz Peterle (Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee, EPP)
• Charles Tannock (Member of AFET, Rapporteur for Montenegro, ECR)

 

The event attracted more than 60 participants and featured a Director for Western Balkans at DG Near, 5 MEPs working on Western Balkans and various other stakeholders. The debate was very well received by our guests and speakers and the format of bringing together researchers, MEPs and the Commission is highly appreciated. The format followed up on a debate titled “The Western Balkans integration process: State of play in 2017”, organized by the TVB and MEP Kukan in a similar setting in 2017.

You can find the full report from the event and a gallery here.

 

 

 

“New Transatlanticism in Central Europe: The V4 and NATO in Question”

 

The event, organized in cooperation with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, took place at the Brussels Office of the GMF (Rue de la Loi 155, 1040, Brussels) on Thursday June 7th, 2018 (17:00 – 19:00).

 

The event was opened by Zuzana Stuchlíková (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy), moderated by Bruno Lété (Senior Research Fellow, GMF) and featured:

• Tomáš Nagy (Research Fellow, GLOBSEC Policy Institute, GPI)
• Daniel Bartha (Director, Centre for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Democracy CEID)
• Elisabeth Braw (Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council)

 

Panellists discussed what the Alliance has brought the V4 countries, which celebrated between 15 and 20 years of NATO membership at the 2018 NATO Summit, and how it continues to be perceived today. They agreed that the V4 countries remain committed to long-term deterrence measures toward Russia but have had lackluster levels of defense spending and commitment in other frameworks — the EU, for example. This event explored the expectations of Central European countries from the next NATO Summit and beyond.

 

The event welcomed more than 70 participants from the EU/NATO Brussels scene and received very good feedback by the participants. A glass of wine was provided after the event.

You can find the report from the event and a gallery here.

 

 

 

“Chinese investments in Europe: Comparing perceptions across Western and Central Europe” 

 

The conference, co-organized by the TVB and EGMONT The Royal Institute for International Relations, took place on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 (14:00 – 18:00) in the Egmont Palace, Brussels. The main aim of the conference was to take a closer look at the EU-China relationship regarding investments. The discussions tackled issues related to the scope and the political background of investments in the EU and covered the different perceptions of Central European countries involved in the 16+1 format.

 

The conference consisted of 2 panels – “Chinese investments: detailing the issue” and  “Raising to the challenge: Comparing perceptions across Western and Central Europe”. The event was opened by a keynote speech by Mr. Philippe Duponteil (Head of China at the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission). Coffee break was prepared during the break.

 

The first panel „Chinese investments: detailing the issue“ was moderated by Mr. Thomas Renard (The Egmont Institute) and featured:

• Rudolf Furst (Institute for International Relations, Czech Republic)
• Amanda Rohde (Friends of Europe, Belgium)
• Weinian Hu (CEPS, Belgium)

 

The second panel „Raising to the challenge: Comparing perceptions across Western and Central Europe“ was moderated by Mr. Alexandr Lagazzi (EUROPEUM) and included:

• Tobias Gehrke (The Egmont Institute)
• Justyna Szczudlik (PISM, Poland)
• Rudolf Furst (Institute for International Relations)

 

The event was attended by over 60 people and was live-streamed online, where it recorded over 500 views and reached more than 1400 people. The event gained attention of the Clingendael Institute (Netherlands), which offered to publish its conclusions and contributions as a series featured in their online outlet, the Clingendael Spectator. Three articles were published:

 

EU-China Investments: Solving the 16+1 Equation by Alexander Lagazzi (EUROPEUM)

EU-China investments: Europe’s Strategic Interest by Amanda Rohde (Friends of Europe)

EU-China investments: Barriers to Market Access in China by Weinian Hu (CEPS)

 

You can find the full report from the event and a gallery here.  Recorded first panel can be accessed here, the second panel then here.

 

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 “Regional cooperation and EU decision-making: impact of the Benelux, Nordic Council and V4”

The lunch time seminar on the formats and approaches to regional co-operation of the Benelux, Nordic Council and V4 and their influence of the EU decision-making process, was co-organized with the CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) on Friday, 19 October 2018 (12:00 – 14:30).

 

The event was opened by Zuzana Stuchlíková (Head of Brussels Office, EUROPEUM) and moderated by Steven Blockmans (Senior Research Fellow & Head of EU Foreign Policy, CEPS). Light lunch was served before the event.

• Alain de Muyser (Deputy Secretary General, Benelux)
• Petra Vargová (Deputy Permanent Representative, Slovak Permanent Representation to the EU)
• Matilda af Hällström (Adviser of the Nordic council in Brussels)
• Jakub Groszkowski (Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), Poland)
• Piret Kuusik (Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, Estonia)

 

The event was attended by app. 70 people. You can find the report and pictures here.

 

 “A New Deal for Emerging Technologies Where will the money come from in the new MFF?”

 

Think Visegrad platform and the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the European Union, which holds the V4 presidency organized a working breakfast titled „A New Deal for Emerging Technologies: Where will the money come from in the new MFF?“ on December 11, 2018 (8:00 – 10:00). The event aimed at highlighting the Visegrad perspective on the very topical issue of emerging technologies in the context of the new budget period 2021 – 2027. Discussion covered perspectives of the European Commission, private sector and V4 member states, as well as presentation of a recent study on the state of play of new technologies in the V4 countries

 

Welcome words were provided by HE Ms. Petra Vargová, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the EU, followed by opening statements of Mr. Carl-Christian Buhr, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel (Digital Economy and Society) and Mr. Patrice Chazerand, Policy Director at DigitalEurope.

 

Panel discussion was moderated by Ms. Zuzana Stuchlíková (EUROPEUM) and featured representatives of three of V4 countries (Czech representative had to cancel her participation on last minute due to illness):

• Radoslav Repa, First Secretary in charge of Information Society, Digital Agenda, Digital Single Market and Cyber Issues at the Permanent Representation of Slovakia to the EU
• Justyna Romanowska, Head of the Information Society and Telecommunication Section at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU
• Mihály Bajnóczi, Head of the competitiveness, growth, industrial policy, SME policy and tourism Unit at the Hungarian Permanent Representation to the EU

 

The event included presentation of a new study „Digital New Deal for V4: How do we stand with new technologies?” by Mr. Kryštof Kruliš (Association for International Affairs, AMO), Mr. Máté Hajba (Free Market Foundation) and Mr. Martin Reguli (F.A. Hayek Foundation). The study was supported by the International Visegrad Fund and the Association for International Affairs is an institute affiliated to the TV platform. A background paper on the topic was prepared for the purpose of the debate.

 

The event attracted 33 people and was organized as a working breakfast. You can find the full report and pictures from the event here.

 

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Additional public event:

 

“Roots of Euroscepticism throughout Europe”

 

The panel was organized by the TVB within the Jubel European Democracy festival and took place on Saturday September 22, 2018 (13:00 – 14:30) in Leopold’s Parc in Brussels. Martin Michelot (Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy) took on the moderation of the discussion, which also featured:

• Pavol Baboš (Assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts of the Comenius University, Slovakia)
• Leanda Barrington-Leach (Strategic Communications Coordinator at EEAS, Belgium)
• András Volom (Founder and President Sustainable Development Goals V4, Hungary)

 

The event attracted app. 25 people, despite unfortunately terrible weather conditions.  You can find the report from the event and a gallery here.

 

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External activities – Roundtables

 

“PESCO: What role for the V4 in developing European Strategic Autonomy”

 

The roundtable titled ‘PESCO: What role for the V4 in developing European Strategic Autonomy’ took place on Monday 9th of April 2018 (16:00 – 18:00) at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU.  The expert roundtable aimed at bringing forward opinions and ideas from different actors within the EU, regarding contributions to the PESCO projects and the vision of European Strategic

 

The event, held under the Chatham House rule, was moderated by Mr. Martin Michelot (EUROPEUM) and included three speakers:

• HE Tomáš Szunyog, Deputy Head of the Czech Permanent Representation to the EU, Permanent Representative to Political and Security Committee
• Justyna Gotkowska, Researcher at the Centre for Eastern Studies OSW, Poland
• Gergely Varga, Associate researcher at Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary

 

The expert roundtable attracted 31 guests (full capacity), among them representatives of EDA, European Commission (and EPSC), PermRep of France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary and others. You can see the whole report from the event and a gallery here.

 

–

 

“Path to EURO: The Future of the non-Eurozone Countries” 

 

The event “Path to Euro – Future of the Non-Eurozone Countries” was organized by the Think Visegrad Brussels on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 12:00 – 14:00  at Press Club Brussels Europe, Brussels.

 

The event, held under the Chatham House rule, was moderated by Mr. Vladimír Bartovic (EUROPEUM). Opening remarks were provided by Mr. Konrad Popławski (OSW) and Mr. Fabian Zuleeg, Executive Director and Chief Economist of the European Policy Centre.

 

The event featured 11 experts, which allowed for a vivid discussion. Recommendations drafted by the group will be then send out to MS and EU institutions representatives and are attached to this report.

 

You can find the full report and pictures here.

 

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Monthly newsletter

 

The TVB Newsletter was one of the key communication tools aimed at a wider audience, with the objective of raising awareness about the Think Visegrad platform within mainly Brussels-based stakeholders. The Newsletter introduced the project and its members, summarized TVB activities in the past and upcoming period, and reported on events and research fellowships. It was distributed to a database of more than 1000 contacts. Organizers opted for a bi-monthly periodicity in order to keep content fresh and report on new events and deliverables. The first newsletter was sent in March (covering January and February), followed by five more (March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December). In 2018, the emphasis was put on including news from the member institutes, bringing attention to their newest publications, events (if based in Brussels) and important announcements.

 

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8 short-term research in Brussels

 

In 2018, the budget of the TVB project allowed for hosting representatives of all 8 Think Visegrad  institutes. Edit Inotai of CEID, who was originally supposed to come to Brussels already in 2017,  realized her research trip in May 2018. All the other researchers came to Brussels between June and November 2018. We have received highly positive feedback for this program feature, as it allows for conducting research directly in the EU institutions, which is otherwise complicated.

 

The output of the fellowship is a policy paper on issues of strategic interest for the V4 in relation to EU policy. The papers are published online on the Think Visegrad website and the websites of each partner and shared on social media and via newsletters. The support provided to the researchers by the TVB differed according to personal needs, comprising assistance with finding accommodation, identifying relevant stakeholders for interviews, setting up meetings, and hosting them at the office.

 

Following researchers completed a week long study trip to Brussels:

 

Edit Inotai (CEID) stayed in Brussels from May 28^th to June 2^nd . Paper titled “Is Germany too much for us?” is available here.

Tomáš Madleňák (SFPA) came to Brussels for the week from June 24^th to 29^th  2018, his paper is titled “EMU reform as a case-study for multispeed integration”.

Sejla Almadi (IFAT) underwent her research fellowship from July 1^st to 7^th  2018, her paper “Can the V4’s Priorities shape “Europe’s Priorities”?” can be found here.

Kamil Frymark (OSW) conducted his research in Brussels between September 24^th and 29th 2018, his paper is titled “Germany and the V4: renewed cooperation opportunities in the new political context”.

Vladislava Gubalova (GLOBSEC) came to Brussels between October 15^th and 19^th 2018, her paper “What is Next for Central (and Eastern) Europe? Helping to shape the future of Europe” can be read here.

Daniel Šitera (IIR) stayed in Brussels from November 1^st to 7^th 2018, his paper “Finding a Visegrad Added Valiu in the New Cohesion Policy” can be found here.

Melchior Szczepanik (PISM) came to Brussels from 19^th to 23^rd November 2018 and wrote paper “Another successful Spitzenkandidat?”.

Botond Feledy (CEID) stayed in Brussels from 19^th to 23^rd November 2018, his paper “Cyber security and Sovereignty Two levels of digital autonomy can be accessed here.

Jana Jůzová (EUROPEUM) conducted her research in Brussels between November 26^th and 30^th 2018, and wrote a paper titled “Visegrad in the Western Balkans: Losing ground?”.

 

The pilot project was approved to continue in 2017 and the second phase was implemented from June to December 2017.

 

Public conferences

 

“The Western Balkans integration process: State of play in 2017”

 

Report [PDF]

 

The first conference took place on Wednesday, October 18^th 2017, in the European Parliament. The event was organized in cooperation with MEP Eduard Kukan (EPP), Chair of the EU-Serbia SAPC and Delegation Chair of the AFET Working Group on Western Balkans. The debate aimed to evaluate the progress achieved in the Western Balkans so far in order to pick up the process that was delayed by the European Commission, which decided to publish the annual Progress Report on Western Balkans only in April 2018, and.

 

Mr Kukan provided welcoming remarks and the following panel discussion was moderated by Tomáš Strážay, Research Fellow, Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA).

 

The panelists were the following:

 

Anna Orosz, Research Fellow, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT)

Ján Cingel, Acting Head of European Neighbourhood Programme, GLOBSEC Policy Institute

Marta Szpala, Senior Fellow, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW)

Dušan Reljić, Head of Office, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)

 

In the next part of the conference, the MEPs present were invited to share their comments and remarks:

 

MEP Cristian Dan Preda (EPP/RO), Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina

MEP Igor Soltes (Greens/SI), incoming Rapporteur for Kosovo

MEP Alojz Peterle (EPP/SI), Chair of the EU-FYROM JPC

 

The Director-General of DG NEAR, Mr. Christian Danielsson, provided 15-minute closing remarks building on the content of the discussions.

 

“Quo Vadis Eastern Partnership? A Retrospective look into The Future”

 

Report [PDF]

 

A second conference took place on Thursday, November 23^rd, 2017. The event was organized in cooperation with the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, the Open Society European Policy Institute, the Slovak Foreign Policy Association and the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), which hosted the event.

 

The conference critically assessed the achievements of the Eastern Partnership policy, the effectiveness of its existing toolbox and the breadth of the changes it had so far fostered in the countries. The speakers also looked ahead to the upcoming Brussels Eastern Partnership summit and beyond and offered recommendations for calibrating the EU’s policy to better tackle the emerging trends and challenges in the region.

 

The event was opened by Jerzy Pomianowski, Executive Director of the European Endowment for Democracy. The keynote speech was provided by Linas Linkevičius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.

 

Natalia Yerashevich, Director of the Secretariat of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) and Zuzana Stuchlíková, Head of Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy/Think Visegrad platform introduced their institutions and provided framing notes for the event.

 

The first panel “Assessing policy performance: the Eastern Partnership on the eve of the Brussels summit” focused on how the Eastern Partnership has delivered for the partner countries in terms of democratisation, reforms and Europeanisation and how successfully the EU has addressed the major challenges in the region.  The discussion was moderated by Iskra Kirova, Senior Policy Analyst, Open Society European Policy Institute and featured:

 

Boris Navasardyan, President, Yerevan Press Club, EaP CSF Steering Committee

Ziya Guliyev, Chair, Center for Legal Initiatives, EaP CSF Steering Committee

Timur Onica, Programme Officer, European Endowment for Democracy

Vano Chkhikvadze, EU Integration Field Manager, Open Society Georgia Foundation

Dmytro Shulga, European Programme Director, International Renaissance Foundation

 

The second panel “Eastern Partnership Quo Vadis? Expectations and recommendations for the next steps” tackled the expectations of the Eastern Partnership Summit, and asked whether the EU would be better equipped to respond to the emerging trends in the region and support a positive momentum on democratization and reform. The panel was moderated by Adam Balcer (nominated by the Polish members of the TV platform) and featured:

 

MEP Rebecca Harms, Euronest Co-Chair, European Parliament

Diana Jablonska, Head/Deputy of Unit, DG NEAR, European Commission

Ján Cingel, Acting Head of European Neighbourhood Programme, GLOBSEC Policy Institute

Alexander Duleba, Director of the Research Centre, Slovak Foreign Policy Association

Zsuzsanna Vegh, Researcher, Europa-Universität Viadrina

 

Expert roundtables

 

“The future of the Cohesion Policy in the new Multiannual Financial Framework: Perspectives from Central Europe”

 

Report [PDF]

 

The roundtable took place on October 26^th, 2017 and brought together the four Ambassadors to the European Union of the Visegrad Countries, representatives of other Permanent Representations and prominent research centres. It was hosted by the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU, who also provided a breakfast for the attendees, in cooperation with the Hungarian Presidency of the V4. Cooperation with the Hungarian Permanent Representation in the lead up to the event was excellent and allowed for the organization of a true V4 event.

 

The event was moderated by Barbara Wieliczko, from SGH Warsaw School of Economics (also in charge of the long term analysis of the Cohesion Policy within the TV platform). All four V4 ambassadors participated in the event and provided detailed remarks about the future of the cohesion policy: H.E. Olivér Várhelyi (Hungarian Permanent Representation to the EU), H.E. Martin Povejšil (Czech Permanent Representation to the EU), H.E. Peter Javorčík (Slovak Permanent Representation to the EU) and H.E. Jarosław Starzyk, who was later replaced by Sebastian Barkowski, Chargé d’affaires a.i. to represent the Polish Permanent Representation to the EU.

 

“The EU after a year of crucial elections: Which new chances and challenges?”

 

Agenda [PDF]

 

The event was organized as a closed roundtable for selected experts (under Chatham House rule). The event was organized in cooperation with the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), two leading European think tanks. The event took place on November 21^st in the premises of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

 

After a brief welcome by Steven Blockmans, the Head of EU Foreign Policy Unit at CEPS, a keynote speech was delivered by Alfredo Conte, Head of Strategic Planning Division at EEAS, focusing on the implementation of the EU Global Strategy and the future global trends that will impact the development of the EU’s foreign policy

 

The first panel, “Future of the EU and the Eurozone in light of 2017 elections: What is at stake for further European Integration?“ focused on the European context of the recent elections in France, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. The panelists weighed in on the consequences those results could have on the dynamics of European integration in the near future. The panel was moderated by Zuzana Stuchlíková, Head of Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy/Think Visegrad platform and featured:

 

Peter Becker, Senior Associate, SWP, Berlin

Martin Michelot, Deputy Director, EUROPEUM, Prague

Oliver Gruber, University of Vienna

Ondřej Houska, Hospodářské noviny (Czech economic daily)

                                                                                                                              

The second panel “After the elections: New chances for a deeper EU foreign, security & defence policy?” focused on perspectives of development in the field of Common Security and Defence Policy, and especially the promises brought forward by Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). The panel was moderated by Dušan Rejlić, Head of Brussels Office of SWP, and featured:

 

Ronja Kempin, Senior Fellow, SWP, Berlin

Steven Blockmans, Head of EU Foreign Policy Unit, CEPS

Dušan Fischer, Head of the International Security Programme, SFPA, Bratislava

 

Research

 

Mr. Andrzej Sadecki (OSW) stayed in Brussels from November 18^th to November 26^th. Paper title: “Regional coalition building regarding the MFF post 2021“

Ms. Alena Kudzko (GLOBSEC) stayed in Brussels from November 22^nd to November 28^th. Paper title: “The labor market reform in the EU and the implications for Central Europe”

Mr. Alexander Lagazzi (EUROPEUM) stayed in Brussels from November 20^nd to November 26^th. Paper title: “The role of the V4 in EU-China relations”

 

Newsletters

 

Summer 2017

September – October

November – December

The pilot project was implemented by the Brussels office of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, one of the founding members of the Think Visegrad platform. It ran from June to December 2016 and the International Visegrad Fund financed it.

 

Events and external activities

 

– TVB organized two public debates in Brussels. The first conference was entitled ‘The Visegrad Contribution to the EU Digital Single Market’ and took place on 30.11.2016. It was organized in close cooperation with the Polish Presidency of the Visegrad Group and hosted by the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU. The second conference took place on 9. 12. 2016 and was called ‘Security in Europe from a Visegraad viewpoint: strengthening fundamentals, but rethinking perspectives?’ The event in a round-table format was co-organized with the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and the European Policy Institutes Network and hosted at CEPS premises.

 

– The roundtable with the title ‘Visegrad about the Future of the EU’ took place on 24. 10. 2016 and brought together the four Ambassadors to the European Union of the Visegrad Countries and twelve amongst the most prominent think-tanks in Brussels. It was hosted by the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU.

 

– The TVB Newsletter was one of the key communication tools aimed at a wide audience, with the objective to raise awareness about the Think Visegrad platform in mainly Brussels-based stakeholders. The Newsletter introduced the project and its members, including their presentation in each issue. Each issue summarized the gist of the TVB activities in the past and upcoming period, reporting on events and research fellowships. Four issues of the newsletter were sent over the period of the project:

• Newsletter 1/2016 (07. 07. 2016)
• Newsletter 2/2016 (12. 09. 2016)
• Newsletter 3/2016 (24. 10. 2016)
• Newsletter 4/2016 (20. 12. 2016)

 

Internal activities

 

– TVB commissioned a consultancy to carry out the legal and financial assessment, taking into account various scenarios of the TVB potential presence in Brussels. TVB submitted the feasibility study to the International Visegrad Fund at the end of September 2016

 

– Providing space and support for four experts (one from each V4 country) from V4 think tanks (not only Think Visegrad members) that would like to undertake short-term research in Brussels

 

• Tomasz Stępniewski (12 September 2016 until 16 September 2016), The Society of the Institute of East-Central Europe (TIESW). Paper title: The European Union and Eastern Partnership: Crises and Strategic Assessment
• Vladimir Bilcik (17 October 2016 until 21 October 2016), Research Centre of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA). Paper title: The EU Council Presidency after the British referendum
• Zsuzsanna Csornai (28 November 2016 until 2 December 2016), Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT). Paper title: The Changing Balance of Power in the EU after the British Referendum – V4 Capacities and Opportunities
• Michal Koran (16 January until 20 January), Institute of International Relations (IIR). Paper title: Central Europe: The Death of Dreams?

 

– Providing monitoring to V4 think tanks on issues of relevance to them.

The four policy areas were agreed upon jointly with the partner institutions: security and foreign policy, economic issues, energy issues and digital agenda. (LINKS)

 

Throughout the pilot project, the following issues were delivered:

• First + Second issue: from 12 to 30 September 2016
• Third issue: from 1 to 14 October 2016
• Fourth issue: from 15 to 28 October 2016
• Fifth issue: from 29 October to 11 November 2016
• Sixth issue: from 12 to 25 November 2016
• Seventh issue: from 26 November to 9 December 2016
• Eight issue: from 10 to 21 December 2016