Skip to main content
European Commission logo
en
Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood
 

EU Enlargement Forum 2026

EU Enlargement Forum: Wider Europe-Stronger Europe

15 - 16 November 2026

Register here

Enlargement is a geostrategic imperative for us and a long-term investment in our peace, stability and security. It will remain merit-based. But it must become more dynamic. Because merit-based does not mean slow. It means fair and predictable.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

We have made more progress on enlargement this year than in any year since 2002. Time has come to prepare our Union for new members. Enlargement offers us the opportunity to build a stronger Europe, able to shape its own future.

Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement

Confirmed Speakers

Kaja Kallas

High Representative/Vice-President - Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Denis Džidić

Executive Director and Editor at Balkan Investigative Reporting Network BiH

Henry Foy

Bureau Chief of the Financial Times in Brussels

The Programme

The Enlargement Forum gathers a broad and diverse range of participants, from high-level national and regional political leaders to civil society representatives, entrepreneurs, artists, youth voices, and policy experts from both EU Member States and enlargement countries

  1. Sunday, 15 November
  2. 18:00 - 21:30
    Opening evening and concert (on invitation only)

    Opening by Commissioner Marta Kos

    Featuring the WESTERN BALKAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA

    Melodies of Unity: Harmonies from the European Crossroads

  1. Monday, 16 November – Flagship
  2. 08:30 – 09:30

    Registration & Welcome Coffee

  3. 10:00 – 10:30
    Opening session

    Welcome & opening remarks: Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement 

    Opening Keynote: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission 

    Keynote speech: Alexander Stubb, President of Finland  

  4. 10:30 – 11.30
    Panel I - Delivering on Enlargement

    Opening: Henry Foy, Bureau Chief of the Financial Times in Brussels

    - Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova
    - Sergii Koretskyi, Prime Minister of Ukraine
    - Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania 
    - Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro

  5. 11:45 – 13:00
    Spotlight Dialogues

    1: Civil society and local authorities’ perspectives on enlargement

    - Oleksandr Senkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv (Ukraine)
    - Milijana Rogač, Editor-in-Chief of Istinomer (Serbia)
    - Nino Lomjaria, Founder, European Orbit Georgia
    - Liliana Vițu, Director of the Centre for Strategic Communication and Countering Disinformation (Moldova) 
    - Magnus Hjort, Director-General of the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency 
    - Vasil Terziev, Mayor of Sofia, Bulgaria
     
    2: New Markets, Stronger Value Chains: The Business Case for Enlargement

    - Eriola Bibolli, Chair of the Board of ProCredit Holding 
    - Vladimir Cmiljanovic, Founder and CEO of Swiss Rockets 
    - Andrew McDowell, Director General of EIB Global 
    - Dr. -Ing. Holger Fastabend, CEO of Gebauer & Griller 
    - Anna Warzybok, Board of Directors of ML SYSTEM
    - Ozan Diren, President of TÜSIAD

    3: Through reconciliation towards EU enlargement

    - Jim O’Brien, Visiting Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations 
    - Denis Dzidić, Executive Director and Editor at Balkan Investigative Reporting
    Network BiH
    - Katica Janeva, Director at ALDA – Western Balkans Coordinator 
    - Adi Selman, Director of Karton revolucija 

  6. 13:00 – 14:00

    Lunch & Networking

  7. 14:00 – 15:15
    Panel II - Getting Ready for a Larger Union

    Opening: Gerald Knaus, European Stability Initiative 

    - Radosław Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland
    - Benjamin Haddad, Minister Delegate for Europe of France
    - Johann Wadephul, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany
    - Anita Orbán, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary 
    - Kęstutis Budrys, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania 

  8. 15:15 – 16:00

    Break & Networking 

  9. 16:00 – 17:00
    Panel III - Making Enlargement Deliver: Reforms, Investment and Growth

    - Hristijan Mickoski, Prime Minister of North Macedonia 
    - Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity
    - Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank
    - Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs of Ireland (Irish EU Presidency)
    - Thijs Reuten, Member of the European Parliament 

  10. 17:05 - 17:15
    Enlargement and security

    Kaja Kallas, High Representative / Vice-President of the European Commission

  12. 17:15 – 17:45
    Closing session

    Closing keynote : António Costa, President of the European Council

    Wrap-up remarks: Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement

Why Enlargement Matters?

EU Enlargement has moved to the centre of political debate in Europe. It is today part of a process of reshaping Europe’s political and security architecture to create a Europe capable of competing with other major global powers. We will only be successful when we firmly anchor our candidate countries in the EU. Different questions on how our continent could be structured are finding their way to the top of Europe’s political agenda.

What to Expect?

In this context, the EU Enlargement Forum on 15 and 16 November 2026: Wider Europe – Stronger Europe serves as a pivotal gathering for key policymakers both from the EU and partner countries and leading societal actors to discuss the future trajectory of the Union and its membership. The 2026 Forum aims to address the prospect of EU enlargement in the context of the ongoing geopolitical challenges and tectonic shifts, and to provide an impetus for action for all involved stakeholders - to keep course and drive the process forward. 

  • How do current geopolitical shifts strengthen the strategic case for EU enlargement? 
  • What lessons from previous enlargements should shape the EU’s approach to democracy and rule of law in current accession processes? 
  • How can the EU combine a merit-based accession process with the need for greater speed and credibility?
  • How can civil society organisations and local authorities enhance the credibility of the enlargement process and build stronger public support among citizens in both Member States and candidate countries?
  • What reforms are most urgent to create a business environment in candidate countries that is ready for the Single Market?
  • How can the enlargement process more effectively support reconciliation and good neighbourly relations?

Who’s Joining?

The event is hosted by Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. It is aimed at key stakeholders, experts, opinion leaders and anyone active in advancing he discussions on EU enlargement and ensure ownership and alignment of key actors to drive the process forward, exploring concrete enlargement scenarios and their benefits, challenges, as well as potential risks, and contributing to creating and disseminating positive narratives on enlargement and the concerned countries. 

Satellite events

To enrich the discussion EU Enlargement: Wider Europe – Stronger Europe, showcase different perspectives and to extend the discussion beyond Brussels, we invite interested stakeholders to join the conversation:

If you are a civil society organisation, think tank, university, EUROPE DIRECT Centre or similar and you are organising a public event on topics addressed at this year’s Forum or would like to host a satellite event in the lead up to the Enlargement Forum, please get in touch and share more details about your event or idea: EU-ENLARGEMENT-FORUMatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EU-ENLARGEMENT-FORUM[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

These can be presentations, workshops, discussions, big or small, hosted in an EU Member State or enlargement partner in the Western Balkans or Eastern Neighbourhood. We would be interested to hear your contribution to our conversation and will promote relevant events on the Forum website and social media. We count on your creativity and ideas to help make the discussion more accessible to citizens, and to communicate the opportunities and benefits that EU enlargement can offer.

We also aim to integrate key outcomes from select satellite events into the Forum discussion, for example by way of recommendations or through the participation of select satellite events representatives at the Forum.

Upcoming satellite events

Montenegro in the EU: Lessons, Issues and Policy Directions (Podgorica, Montenegro)

Montenegro in the EU: Lessons, Issues and Policy Directions is an international conference bringing together economists, policymakers, business leaders and regional experts to examine practical lessons from EU integration and enlargement. The programme will draw on the experience of nine EU countries, offering comparative perspectives on reforms, institutions, competitiveness, investment and growth. A Nobel Prize laureate will also contribute to the conference, alongside experts and decision-makers from Montenegro and Europe. Organised by Center for Finance and the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, under the patronage of the President of Montenegro, the conference will take place on 16 October in Podgorica.

Learn more about the event

Enlargement Forum 2025

Visit the event page