Recent event
Annual Neighbourhoods Conference
Background and the General Problematic
Each year the Institute of European Studies of the University of Saint Louis in Brussels organizes a conference on the relations between the European Union and its neighbours.
The two previous conferences focused on the question of a possible loss of influence of the EU in the face of the actions (notably of Turkey) and geopolitical competition that impact most of our neighbours, both to the East and to the South.
Since then, unfortunately, the war has broken out in Ukraine in flagrant violation of international law, with consequences that are already dramatic for this country (human losses; massive destruction, especially of infrastructure… violence and war crimes…) and, in the longer term, a profound questioning of the security/defence balance for the entire European continent and beyond.
Ukraine is suffering the worst and is resisting valiantly, helped by the Western democracies, but all the neighbouring countries of the EU are affected, directly and indirectly, by the serious political, economic, energetic and food consequences that inevitably follow from this high-intensity armed conflict.
The Union itself, a powerful supporter of the victim country, is confronted with immediate difficulties that are dragging it into recession while so many other major challenges (climate change; energy transition; digitalization; excessive and dangerous dependencies… inflation, precarization…) impact its populations.
At the same time, the Union must help Ukraine solve its economic and energy problems and also, without further delay, rethink and update in entirety its neighbourhood and partnership policy, built on other bases since the 2000s, means in the new geopolitical context, as well as the foundations of its foreign and security policy, including its defence.
Our exchanges on these very important issues will take place on the morning of February 7, 2023, in the form of a video conference organized in cooperation with our partners and around eminent experts and personalities mobilized for the occasion.
The final program, the registration forms and the zoom link will be published in mid-January.
PROGRAM OF THE DAY: 15th « Neighborhood » Conference
organised by The Institute of European Studies of the University of Saint-Louis in Brussels
Tuesday, 7 February 2023, 9h15 – 13h15 – via Zoom 
09h15 Joining of the participants and welcome by Antoine BAILLEUX, Professor and President of the Institute of European Studies (IEE)
– Presentation of the University of Saint Louis in Brussels
– Presentation of the Institute of European Studies, its students and research
Introduction to the program of the day by René LERAY, Associate Professor at IEE
– Objectives of the conference
– Unfolding of the sessions
09h30 – 10h30 – First session :
What are the consequences (security, economic, energy and political) for Ukraine and for the other countries of the Eastern Partnership?
President-Moderator :
Marat TERTEROV, Head of the Expansion Unit, Energy Charter Secretariat Founder & former-Director of the European Geopolitical Forum (Ergyclub.org)
Panelists :
Olena SNIGYR, Ukrainian Researcher, PhD, Non-Resident Fellow at Beyond the Horizon ISSG and Jean Monnet Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of European University Institute
George NICULESCU, Head of Research, The European Geopolitical
Yavuz BAYDAR, Journaliste Turque, Ecrivain, Rédacteur rédacteur en chef d’Ahval, un site d’information en ligne publié en anglais, en turc et en arabe
10h30 – 11h30 – Second session:
What are the consequences (security, economic, energy and political) for the southern neighbours, including Turkey?
President-Moderator :
Jean-François DREVET, Associate Professor of Geography and ENS, Independent Expert, Former European civil servant
Panellists:
Ridha BEN MOSBAH, Former Tunisian Ambassador to the EU and former Minister of Industry
Samuel DOVSERI VESTERBYE, Managing Director European Neighbour Council,
11h30 – 12h45 – Third Session :
What are the new challenges for the EU?
President-Moderator:
Stefano MANSERVISI, Director General of DG DEVCO (2016 -2019), EU Ambassador to Turkey (2014-2015), Director General DG Development (2010-2014), DG HOME (2004-2008).
- a) rebuild the partnership and neighbourhood policy and make a success of the pending accessions.
Panellists:
Hugues MINGARELLI, EU Ambassador to Ukraine 2015-2019, Managing Director for the North African regions, the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq, at the European External Action Service (EEAS-2011-2016).
François LAFOND, Expertise France, Special Advisor, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Government of Serbia, former Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of Northern Macedonia (2017-21).
- b) to assert itself as a united diplomatic and military power
Panellists:
Pierre VIMONT, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe Foundation, Ambassador of France, Executive Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS 2010-2015)
Alessandro POLITI, Director at the NATO Defense College Foundation in Rome (2012-ongoing), Senior Political Advisor in Pristina, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence, Global Geopolitics, Intelligence and Arctic Security at the SIOI in Rome
12h45 – 13h15 – Conclusions
Enrico LETTA, President of the Jacques Delors Institute, Former Italian Prime Minister