Grant said EU enlargement should not be stopped as a matter of principle, but that the EU should explore new policies within the community that offer meaningful ties to Europe apart from actual membership. The participants discussed the ‘variable geometry' of Russia both as a potential recipient of such programs and as a player in Eastern Europe. Grant argued for deepend cooperation in the areas of free trade, energy, and security. Markus Ederer, head of policy planning in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agreed, and suggested we avoid a ‘binary' approach toward EU membership and aim for different degrees of closeness. GMF Transatlantic Fellow Taras Kuzio observed the challenges associated in Europe's east and south, pointing out that a "halfway house" might interest some countries, but not others.

In addition to Grant, Ederer, and Kuzio, participants included current and aspiring EU members, think tank representatives, and U.S. Government agencies.