Conceptual frame for invigorating the EU's enlargement and neighbourhood policy to enhance Europe's resilience

Guided by the assumption that in current times there is the need to open-up to or complement the EU’s enlargement strategy with a wider Europe dimension for addressing geopolitical challenges this paper aims to provide a detailed conceptual frame for respective analyses. It discusses the added-value and limits of the modernization as well as geopolitical logics that drive the EU’s relations with the eastern neighbours and western Balkan countries and explores how they can be combined most efficiently and effectively. This provides insights in how to reform the EU’s enlargement policy to enhance Europe’s resilience. Building a comprehensive definition of resilience, the paper draws from literature on democracy promotion adapting it to fit the analysis of democratisation processes in the specific context of conflict and territorial contestation. Additionally, it will explore literature on defending the political and economic autonomy of the EU and its like-minded neighbours.