Over the past several years, Europe has been facing multiple complex challenges. The economic and financial crisis has become intertwined with multiple social, political and institutional challenges as well as external shocks and pressures – including the steady wave of refugees and the terrorist attacks in Paris.

In these times of crisis, the EU has both commitments it must make good on and a need for strong and reliable partnerships, based on shared interests and values. Enlargement to the Balkans represents both a commitment made more than a decade ago, as well as a strategic effort to expand and develop democracy and prosperity on the continent.

In this context, the European Policy Centre (EPC) organised this Policy Dialogue with a panel of experts on the enlargement process to analyse the state of play: what are the key developments witnessed this year? Which Balkan countries are doing well, and which are falling behind? What role are EU member states assuming in the European integration of the region? How is the European Commission helping to keep the process going? The panel discussed these issues in order to consider positive steps for the future.