European internal security increasingly relies on enhanced cooperation in the face of transnational, digital and evolving threats. Europol is establishing itself as a key player in supporting Member States through its capabilities in analysis, operational coordination and technological innovation. In particular, the Agency contributes to the fight against organised crime, terrorism and illicit financial networks. Its future development must balance operational effectiveness with respect for fundamental rights and the sovereignty of Member States.

European cohesion policy, which has long focused on regions and metropolitan areas, has neglected medium-sized towns, which are stuck in "development traps". To address this blind spot, the 2028–2034 multiannual financial framework should grant them greater recognition, provide dedicated funding for their revitalisation and ensure better access to technical expertise. The challenge is as much economic as it is democratic: reconnecting these areas with the European project to curb rising electoral disaffection.

The integration of the six Western Balkan countries into the European Union highlights a divide between leaders who favour a technical approach to mask their authoritarian tendencies and a public that is calling for strict oversight of the rule of law. Faced with endemic corruption, people expect the European institutions in Brussels to act as guardians of democratic values rather than merely providing financial support. Without transparent communication and a firm commitment to combating abuses of power, public disillusionment risks permanently undermining the European ideal in the region.

The outermost regions and overseas territories now occupy a central geostrategic and maritime position, providing the European Union with the world's largest exclusive economic zone and levers of technological, space and military power. These vulnerable areas are becoming laboratories for ecological transition and hubs of regional diplomacy, enabling them to counter imperialist ambitions whilst renegotiating their status towards greater autonomy. The future of this euro-insular relationship rests on a sovereign co-construction in which the islands' unique identity strengthens the continent's global influence and security in the face of new global centres of influence.

The energy crisis of 2026 highlights Europe's continuing dependence on hydrocarbons, despite an electricity sector that is already carbon-free, and is also due to the share of natural gas in the energy mix of the 27 Member States rising from around 14% to over 20% – an increase of 45%. This crisis transforms high oil prices into a strategic lever to accelerate energy independence and the energy transition. The European Union, which has already embarked on a rapid decarbonisation of its electricity mix, will no longer be able to 'manage' its oil dependency through repeated emergency measures. Only a structural reduction in hydrocarbon consumption will enable it to regain sustainable energy sovereignty.

Agenda

Internal security: which role for Europol in support of the Member States?

Medium-sized cities: the blind spot in European cohesion

What do the Balkan countries expect from the European Union?

What does the future hold for relations between the EU and its islands?

The 2026 oil crisis: an opportunity for Europe's energy transition