Thematic Streams
To ensure relevance and alignment with both EU priorities and national reform agendas, ‘Ireland 4 EU Enlargement’ focuses on three technical streams. These streams address some of the most pressing institutional and policy challenges facing public administrations in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership candidates. Each stream is designed to support progress across key EU accession chapters, while embedding leadership development and practical learning throughout.
Horizontal Stream: Breaking Barriers to Lead — Boundary Leadership as the Core
A central chord for all participants is the concept of boundary leadership—a transformative leadership model that prepares public officials to lead effectively in complex, dynamic, and multi-level governance environments.
Boundary leadership challenges participants to step beyond traditional limitations—geographic, institutional, cultural, and personal—to foster collaboration, drive reform, and support EU integration.
This approach encourages leaders to:
- Challenge their proximity to problems by seeking cross-border, inter-institutional, and citizen-centric solutions.
- Use boundary objects—tools, networks, and shared practices—as mechanisms for collaboration and reform.
- Practice reflexivity—deep, critical self-awareness that enhances leadership agility and system-wide perspective.
- Crystallise transformation through actionable, measurable leadership outcomes aligned with EU readiness goals.
This stream supports cross-cutting leadership development, particularly in relation to the implementation of accession chapters such as 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom, and Security), where leadership and institutional resilience are critical for reform success.
Technical Streams
The Technical Workstreams comprise a series of expertly facilitated sessions—delivered in a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual formats—created to help candidates tackle the technical demands of EU accession.
Each session will break down critical questions and challenges within specific chapters of the acquis communautaire, equipping participants with the insights and tools to navigate the complexities of EU negotiations with confidence.
Between September and December 2025, participants will join 4 to 6 focused sessions designed to map out concrete actions, implementation steps, and targeted policy recommendations essential for meeting the requirements of each accession chapter.
This stream focuses on the pivotal role of public administrations in enabling economic development, attracting investment, and supporting regional integration with the EU’s Single Market.
Key areas of focus include:
- Trade facilitation and regulatory convergence to reduce barriers and align with EU internal market standards;
- Enhancing economic governance, improving the business environment, and strengthening institutional frameworks that support foreign direct investment (FDI);
- Policy coherence in relation to key EU accession chapters, including:
- Chapter 1: Free movement of goods
- Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services
- Chapter 20: Enterprise and industrial policy
- Chapter 8: Competition policy
This stream addresses the increasing importance of digitalisation in public governance and the role of digital transformation in improving service delivery, transparency, and institutional resilience.
Key focus areas include:
- Developing strategic digital government frameworks, including interoperability, digital identity, and user-centric service design;
- Promoting open data and strong data governance as enablers of transparency and innovation;
- Leveraging AI and emerging technologies for more responsive and efficient public services;
- Ensuring cybersecurity and building digital resilience in government institutions;
- Advancing digital inclusion to reduce the digital divide and support equitable access to services;
- Understanding the relationship between upskilling, education and digital fluency that will underpin success in accession and beyond.
An effective, independent, and transparent justice system—together with strong rule of law institutions—is a cornerstone of EU accession. This stream drives reforms that strengthen public trust and ensure full alignment with EU standards.
Justice and the rule of law matter because they safeguard the democratic values at the heart of the EU. From impartial courts and independent judiciaries to robust anti-corruption measures, these systems build the trust and predictability essential for both citizens and international partners.
Without them, democratic commitments weaken and the path to accession stalls. Yet, reform is rarely straightforward—deep-rooted legal traditions, political interference, and uneven institutional capacity can slow progress or even set it back. This stream confronts those challenges head-on, laying the groundwork for lasting change.
Focus areas include:
- Strengthening judicial independence, professional integrity, and institutional efficiency.
- Enhancing access to justice through modernisation and digitisation of governance services.
- Supporting the reform of anti-corruption institutions and mechanisms for public accountability.
- Promoting fundamental rights, particularly in the areas of non-discrimination, data protection, and access to public information.
- Enhancing the overall functioning of legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure adherence to EU values and acquis.
This stream directly supports critical accession areas, particularly:
- Chapter 23: Judiciary and Fundamental Rights
- Chapter 24: Justice, Freedom, and Security
- Chapter 5: Public Procurement
- Chapter 32: Financial Control