To mark the 30th anniversary of Austria, Finland and Sweden joining the EU, a high-level seminar titled „30 Years in the EU: Looking Back into the Future“ will take place on Monday, 17 November 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Residence Palace (Rue de la Loi 155) in Brussels. It is organised by the Permanent Representations of Austria, Finland and Sweden in cooperation with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (SIEPS).
The economic, political and social impact of EU-membership and look ahead into the future of the European Union will be examined in two panel discussions.
In the first panel, „Scenarios for EU reforms and resilience in a changing global order“, experts from academia and politics will discuss possible developmental paths for the EU and its enlargement against the backdrop of current challenges. Speakers include Prof. Dr Michael Kaeding (University of Duisburg-Essen, College of Europe), who will participate alongside Engjellushe Morina (ECFR) and Nicu Popescu (ECFR), former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova.
In the second panel, „The value of EU membership – looking back into the future“, the ministers for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz (Sweden), Joakim Strand (Finland) and Claudia Plakolm (Austria) will share their perspectives on the impact of EU membership on the three countries and the future development of the European Union.
The event will be moderated by Göran von Sydow, Director of SIEPS.