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Mohylyanka joins the development of an effective EU enlargement policy as part of a new Horizon project
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- Published on Thursday, 22 October 2026 13:55
In 2026-2029 the NaUKMA Department of International and European Law, in cooperation with the European University Institute in Florence and a group of prominent international partners, will implement a project “Making Sense of EU Enlargement for, with and by Citizens” (CitiSense) under the support of European Research Executive Agency of the “Horizon Europe” Framework Program.
The СitiSense Project is a 3-year research project in the framework of “Horizon Europe” Program addressing the challenge of pursuing a more effective and resilient enlargement policy by fostering understanding of its security, economic, and societal impacts among citizens through an innovative threefold approach: "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. CitiSense’s novelty lies in treating citizens not as passive recipients of knowledge but as co-creators of evidence, dialogue, and policy recommendations.
CitiSense brings together 16 consortium partners – universities, think tanks, and CSOs – to investigate the security, economic, and societal dimensions of enlargement in both member states and candidate countries. It builds on previous Horizon projects adapting and scaling up proven formats like Youth Labs, Civil Society Networks, and Expert Hubs. It advances earlier research by contributing new methods and original data. The project employs a multimethod research design. CitiSense will generate a wide range of outputs: multidimensional toolboxes for policymakers, administrators, educators, and civil society, integrating public opinion data, cost–benefit analyses, and foresight scenarios with manuals for participatory mechanisms such as Hackathons, Citizen Assemblies, and Youth Labs. It will also deliver a digital guidebook of “30 FAQs on Enlargement”, a Europewide collection of student-authored country reports, educational resources for schools, and multimedia formats (podcasts, Instagram reels, and interactive art exhibition). Together, these outputs provide accessible, user-friendly, and transferable resources that promote transparent communication and inclusive policymaking, and inform public debate on EU enlargement.
Project Lead at NaUKMA, Associate Professor of the NaUKMA Department of International and European Law, Oksana Holovko-Havrysheva about the project and its role:
“The EU enlargement process always captures the attention of the public in both EU member states and the countries seeking to join. We hope that this project, thanks to its "triple approach" model, will help—in practical terms—to foster a better understanding of all aspects of membership, both within Ukraine and abroad, as the country moves toward EU accession.”
Project Coordinator – European University Institute (Italy). Members of the international consortium – Maastricht University (Netherlands), International Centre for Defence and Security (Estonia), Institute of International Affairs - IAI (Italy), Central European University (Austria), University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany), Institute for European Politics (Germany), European Partnership for Democracy (Belgium), Stockholm University (Sweden), Trans European Policy Studies Association (Belgium), Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovak Republic), SWPS University (Poland), Ilia State University (Georgia), Institute for European Policies and Reforms (Молдова), Institute for Democracy” Societas Civilis“ Skopje (Macedonia).