On 13 May 2026, the signature of the grant agreement for ‘CitiSense – Making Sense of EU Enlargement for, with and by Citizens,’ a new Horizon Europe project hosted at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, was finalised. The project is coordinated by Erik Jones, RSCAS Director, with Professor Giselle Bosse, Maastricht University, as Scientific Lead.
CitiSense is an ideal project to coordinate from the European University Institute with its strong emphasis on shaping the future of Europe,” explains Jones. “The team we have built together with Maastricht and TEPSA has incredible strength and depth.”
As the European Union prepares for its next waves of enlargement, a central question remains: how can the EU pursue a more effective and resilient enlargement policy by fostering understanding of its security, economic, and societal impacts among citizens? CitiSense addresses this challenge through an innovative threefold approach. It works for citizens, by producing clear evidence on the costs and benefits of enlargement and non-enlargement; with citizens, by systematically analysing public attitudes, perceptions, and concerns; and by citizens, by creating direct opportunities to participate in debates and co-design solutions.
The project’s novelty lies in treating citizens not as passive recipients of knowledge, but as co-creators of evidence, dialogue, and policy recommendations. By combining rigorous analysis with participatory methods, CitiSense aims to inform public debate and support more transparent communication and inclusive policymaking on EU enlargement.
“The future of EU enlargement cannot be decided only in negotiating rooms in Brussels. It also depends on how citizens across Europe understand its opportunities, perceive its challenges, and see their place within it,” Bosse emphasizes. “CitiSense brings these voices into the centre of the conversation. I am delighted to work with such an exceptional consortium of partners whose expertise, creativity, and commitment make this project possible.”
The project will investigate the security, economic, and societal dimensions of enlargement in both member states and candidate countries. It will generate a wide range of accessible and transferable resources and outputs, including multidimensional toolboxes for policymakers, administrators, educators, and civil society.
CitiSense brings together 16 consortium partners — universities, think tanks, and civil society organisations — from across Europe: European University Institute, Maastricht University, the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS), the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), Central European University (CEU), the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), Stockholm University, the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), Comenius University Bratislava, SWPS University, Ilia State University, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), and the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” Skopje (IDSCS).
“Credible prospects of EU enlargement and meaningful gradual integration are essential to Europe’s security and prosperity. As the EU enlargement process continues to be governed by unanimous decision-making, national governments, the EU institutions, academia, civil society, and the media all have a crucial responsibility to engage citizens in a discussion on the necessity and benefits of enlargement,” highlights Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director of TEPSA, which leads the project’s communication and dissemination work. “TEPSA will do exactly this by drawing on its extensive European network of 50 research institutes and universities and by deploying co-creative tools and innovative communication formats.”
The project will run for three years, starting on 1 October 2026. It is funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe under GA no. 101286806.