European Union (EU)

Topic Guide

Chairs: Nathan Averboukh and Sophia Yang
Email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Topic A: Managing the Expansion of the European Union in the Balkans and Caucasus
The European Union (EU) unites many European countries together, serving as crucial support for its member nations in terms of economic growth, anti-corruption, global stability, and promoting peace overall. Since its establishment in 1957, over 27 nations have joined the political and economic union, and the EU seeks to expand further across the continent. This expansion is known as enlargement, which will allow the union to grow even further, and currently the EU is focusing on expanding into the Western Balkans and Caucasus. Croatia joined the EU in 2023, and several other Balkan countries have gained candidate country status, with talks of accession negotiations opening up in many nations in the Caucasus. However, as it expands, many issues and complications arise. For the candidate countries, there still remains issues of corruption, ethnic tensions, and territorial disputes. On the other hand, the EU must also consider what implications this integration will have on the internal unity of the EU, and what instability expansion may create.

Topic B: Combatting Espionage within the European Union
With the rise of conflict and war within Europe in recent years, growing tensions between opposing nations have threatened the unity the European Union has worked so hard to build. In particular, the war between Russia and Ukraine has put major pressure on the EU to support Ukraine and protect its values. One major challenge that’s come out of this is espionage. In 2024, the European Commission warned of Russian spies entering through Brussels, Belgium, posing as diplomats. With Brussels known as one of the world’s biggest spy hubs, the conflict has sparked an influx of Russian intelligence operatives who use cyberattacks and internal corruption to gain access and influence. Russian intelligence has since come out of Bulgarian nationals, and Frankfurt, Germany. Chinese espionage is also on the rise, and China’s political and technological dominance is a great threat to the EU. Weaponized espionage has become a critical tool in modern warfare, and it’s one of the many threats the EU must confront during this crisis. The EU must remain vigilant against espionage as it works to protect its people, institutions, member nations, and overall stability from foreign interference.

Committees

European Union (EU)