A renewed EU enlargement policy, with genuine commitment to the European future of the region, should be built on the mobilisation and trust of its people. This is what the Western Balkans and the European continent as a whole during the pandemic need.

In societies devastated by the pandemic, the EU needs to leave its conventional tool-box behind and urgently speed up the Europeanisation of its neighbours in Southeast Europe.

How does Central and Eastern Europe evaluate the German Council Presidency? The Slovak Think Tank GLOBSEC asked 14 experts from 9 CEE countries to do so.

What impact does Euroscepticism have on European politics and the future of Europe? How do Eurosceptic parties shape the political debate about the future of the Union? Has the COVID-19 crisis impacted how Eurosceptic parties that are in power govern? Has Euroscepticism lost or gained ground during the COVID-19 crisis?

What exactly do other member states expect from Germany and how do they set their policy priorities? To answer this, the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN) has compiled an analysis of 15 different national perspectives.

Relations between the EU and Switzerland are in limbo, caught between Euroscepticism and pragmatism. Swiss disagreement on the signing of the Institutional Agreement blocks the way forward. At the same time, there is no majority in favour of a rollback of bilateralism. What explains the stalemate and how could it be overcome?

By: Katrin Böttger, Dominic Maugeais
Seventeen years after the big round of EU enlargement and with the Conference on the Future of Europe up and running, the EU and the Western Balkan countries are confronted with a serious backsliding of the rule of law. A challenge, which is not only posing a risk for the democratic foundation of the EU but also favors those who argue for a de facto hold on all future enlargements. In their recommendations the authors of this Policy Brief, part of our "WB2EU" project, take account of the current state of the EU, the rule of law situation and democratic backsliding of the (potential) candidate countries in the Western Balkans.

By: Florian Woschnagg
Although media policy is a fundamental issue for European democracies, the European Union has only limited competence in this field, and the policy area is segmented into different approaches. Against this background, this Policy Brief discusses the situation of the Austrian media market on the basis of the "Media Pluralism Monitor" (MPM) 2020, puts the results in context with the EU-wide situation and formulates policy recommendations.

By: Dorothea Herzele, Susanne Wixforth
The current Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy have been extended by the European Commission to the end of 2021. That means reform is imminent. The authors of this Policy Brief take a look at what the cornerstones of that reform should be and formulate policy recommendations.

By: Johanna Edthofer, Paul Schmidt
Diverging views between EU institutions and EU member states regarding the relation between the European elections and the constitution of the new European Commission led to renewed questions about democracy, legitimation and efficiency of the European decision-making processes. The Conference on the Future of Europe is another chance to find answers to these questions and to improve the functioning of the EU. Against this background, the authors of this Policy Brief analyse the EU`s electoral law and the Spitzenkandidaten procedure that reached its preliminary limits after the European elections 2019 and argue why it should not be abandoned.

By: Louis Drounau
While several reforms are needed to strengthen European parties the reform of the EU’s party funding scheme is paramount. Against this background, the author of this Policy Brief analyses possibilities to reform the European parties’ funding system in order to enhance their relevance, increase their visibility, and encourage citizen participation in the EU’s political life.

By: Ioana Lungu
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an exceptionally ambitious project of Pan-African integration. Currently, the conclusion of negotiations has been hindered by COVID-19, and the start of trade under the AfCFTA trade regime has been delayed. Against this background, the author of this Policy Brief analyses in which way the EU, historically one of the first supporters of the AfCFTA, can help to meet this target.

Approval for EU membership has been declining since the beginning of the Corona crisis. Critical view on the role of the EU in procuring vaccines and cushioning the economic consequences of the pandemic. Support for joint EU vaccination certificate.

70 percent: Austria should remain an EU member, 14 percent: Austria should leave the EU

62 percent: Work and tasks of the EU Parliament are important / 68 percent feel badly informed

Two thirds of respondents support increased humanitarian and climate engagement – 58 percent in favour of a new EU treaty

Highest support for Bosnia-Herzegovina (36 percent) - Lowest support for Kosovo (25 percent)

73 percent: Austria should remain an EU member, 13 percent: Austria should leave the EU / 29 percent: Bigger EU budget is needed