I have worked with Estonian environmental organisations on a range of issues, including oil shale, woody biomass and fossil gas, to promote sustainable energy policies. Even though most emphasis has been on the national level, collaborating with the various EU institutions has not been uncommon. However, despite some experience, insufficient understanding of the broader context and EU processes has inhibited the effectiveness of the EU-level engagement. Participating in the April-May 2021 online edition of the EUAcademy, themed “Bursting the Brussels bubble - Advocating for the public good: a Member State perspective”, made me much more aware of how I can strategically engage at the national level to contribute to more just policies across the EU. The training addressed the shortcomings I experienced in my prior work and provided excellent insight…

"In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity." read the slide of Sanjeev Kumar, quoting Einstein during his guest lecture at a recent EU Academy two-day course. Seizing opportunity, it would become clear, was the theme of this season's workshop, scheduled amidst a global pandemic. Masks were on. Hands were slick with sanitizer. Participants were sat in neat, socially-distanced rows. Still, we showed up, ready to learn under extraordinary circumstances. Introductions revealed that some of us had arrived without clear expectations. I was neither sure of what I was hoping to learn, nor confident that I had sufficient background in EU institutions to make sense of the presentations. Thankfully, our trainers Marc-Olivier Herman and Joost Mulder, were flexible and dynamic, able to zoom in and out of specificity and…

The September 2020 EU Academy ‘Advocating for the public good in the wake of the coronavirus crisis’ gathered sixteen participants from diverse fields such as climate, sustainable development, and human rights. This was one of my first social experiences since the Coronavirus pandemic hit in March! Despite having learned about EU affairs at university, I lacked concrete knowledge about the EU institutions and on how NGOs can strategize to effectively engage with EU processes. Though I am still processing a lot of the information, I am confident that those two days of training have helped me acquire a great deal of practical and applicable knowledge thanks to the two well-experienced trainers – Marc and Joost, as well as insiders from the EU institutions. Learning about the functioning of the Council…