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Brussels Office
About EUROPEUM’s Brussels Office
Building on a long history of EUROPEUM in Prague, we opened our office in Brussels in January 2016. EUROPEUM has been the first think-tank from the Central Europe to branch out to the heart of the European Union. Our motivation has been to follow the debates on EU policies and politics from close and to contribute to them by strengthening the voice of the Czech Republic and other central and east European countries. At the same time, we would like to use our Brussels presence to boost discussions on the EU back in the region, through introducing research by Brussels-based experts, offering their perspective at local events, cooperating with the media, etc.
The main activities of the Brussels office are the following:
- networking and connecting with relevant partners
- organizing events
- conducting research and publishing
- promoting EUROPEUM’s outputs and advocacy
You can find the latest updates, invitations and reports in the box on the right (related articles).
Head of Brussels Office: Žiga Faktor
Think Visegrad in Brussels
EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy currently represents the Think Visegrad platform in Brussels, which includes eight think-tanks. For more details on the platform and its "Think Visegrad in Brussels" project, as well as an overview of our activities, see the Think Visegrad platform website.
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Blog | Is Czech and Slovak Diplomacy Keeping Women Out?
More info
22. 1. 2025
22. 1. 2025This blog addresses the current challenges that have their origin in the social and political climate and are the root cause of the low representation of women in the Slovak and Czech diplomatic environment, despite repeated initiatives, European political agendas and other efforts, which have failed to improve this disbalance. Writes Kristína Gerová, an intern at the Brussels Office.
Policy Brief | Impacts of Ukraine's accession on the EU and its member states
More info 9. 1. 2025
9. 1. 2025Ukraine has been trying to become part of the European Union since the Orange Revolution in 2004, while European decision-makers lacked the political will to continue the enlargement, and the process has been stagnating for many years. All this changed suddenly after the Russian aggression in 2022, after which the accession process accelerated, but now it turned to another extreme: the statements on Ukraine’s quick EU accession became too unrealistic, creating false hopes. Writes Anton Bendarzsevszkij, Director of Oeconomus Economic Research Institute, in his Policy Brief.
Policy Paper | Advancing EU enlargement beyond 2024: Opportunities and challenges ahead
More info 31. 12. 2024
31. 12. 2024The year 2024 marked an important moment in the European Union's enlargement process, as it oversaw significant progress, particularly in the case of Ukraine, Moldova and Montenegro, but also persistent challenges in the case
of certain countries. This paper analyses the opportunities and challenges in advancing the EU enlargement process after 2024, explores the interlink between EU integration and democratization, enlargement and EU’s internal reform, geostrategic interests and political transformation, and proposes a viable path forward for maintaining the EU’s credibility and influence in the candidate countries.
Policy Brief | Will the Fund fund enough?
More info 31. 12. 2024
31. 12. 2024There is a plethora of ways in which the ETS2 revenues and Social Climate Fund financing can support decarbonisation among lower-income strata, accounting for differing needs of communities, regions and countries. When addressed in a timely manner, these initiatives can both serve the green and just transition. How exactly can the Fund be allocated and what are its capacities are the guiding questions of this policy brief, written by Rebeka Hengalová as part of the Think Visegrad research fellowship.
Policy Paper | Illiberalising EU enlargement to the Western Balkans
More info 30. 12. 2024
30. 12. 2024The phenomenon of illiberalism, cornerstone to the increasingly popular concept of illiberal democracy, has steadily gained all the more traction in the global policy discussion. In the European Union (EU), the consolidation of majoritarian, nativist leaderships is leading to many Member States’ backtracking on progressive agendas and openly pursuing policies that undermine the rights of minorities and the liberal-democratic system of checks and balances. Writes Alejandro Esteso Pérez, visiting fellow at EUROPEUM Institute.
Report | Rethinking EU-US relations after the EP and US elections: Views from Central Europe (and beyond)
More info 26. 12. 2024
26. 12. 2024On December 10th, Think Visegrad in Brussels organised an expert discussion on Reassessing EU-US relations after the EP and US elections: Views from Central Europe (and beyond). The debate examined the potential implications of Donald Trump’s re-election for the EU
and the transatlantic relationship. Attended by experts, policymakers, and academics, the session explored critical challenges and opportunities across political, security, and economic dimensions. The debate aimed to foster an in-depth understanding of how the
policies of the Trump administration might reshape the EU’s strategic choices and influence EU-US relations.
Report | Geopolitics first: Perspective of CEE on the EU's global challenges in the next political cycle
More info 19. 12. 2024
19. 12. 2024On December 11th, the Brussels Office organised Geopolitics First: Perspectives of CEE on the EU's Global Challenges in the Next Political Cycle. The aim of this expert discussion was to broaden the perspective of the Central European region on key geopolitical challenges, such as the foreign policy influence of Russia and China.
Policy Brief | Unveiling the Impact of EU Climate Adaptation Strategy on Safeguarding the Rights of the Most Vulnerable in the Czech Republic
More info 16. 12. 2024
16. 12. 2024The European Union has been implementing an ambitious agenda under the European Green Deal. Sustainable development and climate action have been prioritized as per the ambitious goals covered in the European Green Deal. However, as underscored by Ursula von der Leyen, the focus for the strategic priorities has recently shifted towards economic security, competitiveness, and defence. Yet, the climate crisis constitutes an unprecedented security threat for modern humanity and the development of resilience towards climate change should still serve as a precondition for the fulfilment of those strategic priorities. Writes Elif Naz Němec in her Policy Brief.
Blog | From Czechoslovakia to the EU: The historical roots of gender (in)equality in Czech and Slovak diplomacy
More info 16. 12. 2024
16. 12. 2024Year 2024 is likely to be seen as a key year for women's leadership in the EU. Ursula von der Leyen will continue her role as President of the European Commission, Roberta Metsola will lead the European Parliament and Kaja Kallas will head the EU's diplomatic service. This signals a stronger commitment to addressing the gender imbalance across the EU and this momentum can be expected to drive further efforts to promote equality in the years to come. Kristina Gerová, an intern at EUROPEUM's Brussels office, writes in her blog.
Report | The Role of the Middle Corridor in EU’s Energy Independence
More info 10. 12. 2024
10. 12. 2024Following the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU and its member states have managed to limit their reliance on Russian fossil fuels and diversify their imports. Yet, ongoing conflicts across the Eurasian continent, including instability around the Suez Canal, still threaten to disrupt global trade channels. This has increased interest in the Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), as a crucial strategy for diversifying commercial infrastructure and trade to improve the EU’s economic and energy resilience. This event discussed the opportunities and challenges associated with the development of the Middle Corridor.
Report | A wind of change? Role of Central Europe and the next EU political cycle
More info 12. 11. 2024
12. 11. 2024As the EU enters its next political cycle, role of Central European countries within the block seems to have picked up its pace. Not only have Poland, Czechia or Slovenia received ambitious Commissioner portfolios, but the region has also played an important role in the support of Ukraine and more broadly in shaping EU's political priorities for the next mandate. Yet, there is still lack of representation of these countries within the EU institutions while latest reports of Letta and Draghi barely involved any voices from the Eastern part of the EU in their research. This debate organized by Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute therefore summarized latest developments on the EU level and looked into the current Hungarian and upcoming Polish EU presidencies and their potential impacts on the Union.
Report | Transforming words into action. How to keep current momentum in EU enlargement?
More info 25. 10. 2024
25. 10. 2024On the 3rd of October, Think Visegrad in Brussels, represented by the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, organized a discussion titled "Transforming words into action. How to keep current momentum in EU enlargement?". Experts from think tanks, diplomatic missions and EU institutions dwelled into the renewed focus on EU enlargement, including the initiation of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, the formulation of new strategies and financial incentives for candidate states, and reinforced commitments from the EU. The key challenge moving forward is ensuring that this momentum is sustained and translated into concrete, transformative actions that deliver measurable results.