Jean Monnet Summer Academy — Day 4: Why and how the EU enlarges

Day 4 of the Jean Monnet Summer Academy, “EU Enlargement: Theory, Practice, and Contemporary Challenges,” was delivered entirely by Tatia Dolidze, Ph.D. (Jean Monnet module coordinator; Associate Professor and Head of the International Relations programme, European University, Georgia).

The Academy is organised under “European Union Enlargement: Past Lessons for Future Decisions” (EnlargEU — 101127859, 2023–2026), co-funded by the European Union and authored and led by Tatia Dolidze. The number of JMA Academy participants ranges from 140 to 200 for each day and session.

The morning asked why the EU enlarges, introducing two decision-making lenses—the logic of consequences (interests, costs and benefits) and the logic of appropriateness (norms, identity, values). These were then applied to case studies from successive enlargement rounds, showing how they help explain the choices and timing behind successive accessions. The afternoon explained how the EU enlarges, taking participants through the accession pathway. Each step was linked to examples of how procedures played out in practice across different rounds.

Sessions were highly interactive from start to finish—participants posed questions, tested the frameworks against real cases, and remained engaged through the concluding lecture and discussion. The Academy continues 25–29 August 2025 with daily expert-led sessions at European University.