This episode of the Jean Monnet DEBUE podcast examines the EU's policies on enlargement, its role in maintaining international peace and security and in promoting institutional reforms among aspiring member states. The discussion focuses on the EU's transition from an economic alliance to an independent regional security provider. Panelists: Arslan Suleymanov, Milana Bagdasarian, Kamil Nowak, Diana Prushynska, and Dr Kerry Longhurst also assess the successes and failures of the Eastern Partnership and the conditions for EU membership for candidate states, emphasizing the need for adherence to specific values and the implementation of reforms in areas such as gender equality and institutional transparency. This podcast was produced at Collegium Civitas as part of the DEBUE project: "Debating Europe: Internal and External Dynamics of European Integration." The project is co-funded by the European Union under Jean Monnet Programme. More about the DEBUE: https://civitas.edu.pl/en/research/debating-europe-internal-and-external-dynamics-of-european-integration-debue