EN    EN EN 
 
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 3.12.2008 
SEC(2008) 2974 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
 
accompanying the 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CO MMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 
 
Eastern Partnership 
  
{COM(2008) 823 final} 
 
EN 2   EN 1. POTENTIAL SUBJECTS FOR THE WORK OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP (EAP) THEMATIC 
PLATFORMS AND PANELS  
For the thematic platform on  Democracy, good governance and stability , the Commission 
proposes: 
Democracy and Human Rights 
• Exchanges of best practices and dedicated  workshops on such issues as electoral 
standards, regulation of the media, th e fight against corr uption, transparent 
management of public goods and  civil service reform.  
• In cooperation with the Council of Europe , a facility for co nducting peer reviews 
in the areas covered by CoE Conve ntions, modelled on the Commission’s 
cooperation with the OECD under SIGMA. 
• Allocation of resources for the traini ng and networking of local authorities , with a 
view to strengthening administrative capac ities and promoting local government 
reform. This would be carried out in  cooperation with the Committee of the 
Regions. 
Justice, Freedom and Security 
• Support for partners’1 efforts to establish integrat ed border management systems, 
including cooperation on border cont rol and border demarcation where 
appropriate.  
• A multilateral dialogue on visa liberalisation and security standards, with visa-free 
travel and a common readmission area as a l ong-term goal. A first step could be to 
conduct an assessment of the current situation.  
• Multilateral cooperation in the judicial and police fi elds, on law enforcement 
issues, combating organised crime and tra fficking in human beings, co-ordinated 
national drugs strategies, and stre ngthening customs administrations. 
Security and Stability 
• The pooling of information and resources to facilitate prevention of, preparedness 
for, and response to natural and man-made  disasters, including a close link with 
the EU Civil Protection Mechanism2.  
• Contacts among Civil Society Organisatio ns to improve their capacity for 
advocacy and promote confidence building in areas of protracted conflict.  
                                                 
1 Eastern partners (or “partners”) for the purposes of  this Staff Working Paper are the Eastern Europe and 
South Caucasus countries addressed by the European Neighbourhood Policy: Armenia, Azerbaijan, 
Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. 
2 Administrative Agreements will be concluded to ensure that, over time, all partners can cooperate with 
the EC’s Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC). Among partners, this kind of agreement has so far 
only been concluded with Ukraine. 
 
EN 3   EN • Cooperation on specific CFSP and ESDP i ssues, including the participation of 
partner countries in ESDP missions and ex ercises, and coordination of diplomatic 
activities. A mechanism to involve partne r countries in consultations concerning 
ESDP operations could be considered. Security-related early-warning systems 
should be enhanced, with particular focu s on conflict areas. Closer cooperation on 
arms export practices and non-prolif eration could also be envisaged. 
 
EN 4   EN  
For the thematic platform on  Economic integration and c onvergence with EU policies , the 
Commission proposes: 
Trade and Regulatory Approximation 
• Thematic workshops to assist partners in their efforts concerning trade- and 
market-related approximation and admini strative capacity development in areas 
such as sanitary and phyto- sanitary rules, customs and trade facilitation, taxation 
(especially good governance in the tax area) , intellectual and industrial property 
rights, public procurement, competition and services, including financial services;  
• Support for the creation of a network of bilateral Deep and Comprehensive Free 
Trade Areas (DCFTA) among the partner c ountries based on the same principles 
and objectives as the DCFTAs between  the EU and the partner countries. 
• Networking and cooperati on between partners’ re gulatory authorities. 
• Strengthening of traditional trading contacts to step up trade in goods and services 
among partners. 
• Cooperation on enforcement of IP prot ection, in particular as regards 
counterfeited and pirated goods. 
• Exploration of possibilities for partners to participate in a system of diagonal 
cumulation of origin. 
• Increased cooperation on customs and trade facilitation and border management to 
ensure a smooth flow of goods between the European Union and the partners (and 
beyond), enhance security and safety and combat customs fraud. 
• Definition of a roadmap leading to ac cession to the Common transit system 
(membership in Common Transit and S AD Conventions) and exploration of 
possibilities to extend the current pilot pr oject on exchanges of advance customs 
(transit) information with Russia, based on the contents of the TIR-Carnet, to other partners.  
• Consideration of drug precursor  agreements in the region.  
• Maritime cross-sectoral co-operation among services, industries and scientific 
institutions, and cooperation an d integration on the surveillance of the sea, with a 
view to safety and security of shipping and environmental protection. 
Socio-economic development 
• Identification of key issues for effective enterprise policies and the promotion of a 
conducive business climate. 
 
EN 5   EN • Development of comprehensive and coherent strategies for labour market policies, 
improvement of social dialogue, poverty reduction, decent work, social inclusion 
and protection, and equal opportunities.  
• Multilateral cooperation on health t opics (sector reform, HIV/AIDS and 
tuberculosis, approximation and impleme ntation of EU practices). Possible 
partnership arrangements between partne rs’ authorities and the Commission and 
EU Member States to strengthen institutional capacity and enhance preparedness to tackle the cross-border spread of diseases.  
Environment and Climate Change 
• Promotion of convergence with the environment acquis  and strengthened 
implementation of multilateral environment agreements (in particular the Kyoto 
Protocol, CBD and UNECE conventions).  
• Exchange of experience and best pract ice on strategic planning, environmental 
governance, progress monitori ng, enforcement, specific environment themes 
(such as air, water, waste management, integrated coastal zone management and 
biodiversity), and the financing of environm ent investments in a regional context. 
• Involvement of partners in internati onal discussions on future climate action, 
promotion of regional action on mitigation and adaptation and climate 
mainstreaming, and sharing of experience on emissions trading. 
• Cooperation on collection, monitoring and assessment of environment 
information, including with the European Environment Agency. 
• Working with partners to assess options for devel oping a flagship project on 
environment.  
General Issues 
• Identification of partners’ interests regard ing participation in or cooperation with 
Community agencies and programmes
3. 
• Establishment of a programme of secondm ent to Member States’ administrations 
and to the Commission of civil servants from partner countries responsible for 
particular areas of EU approximation. 
                                                 
3 Communication of 4 December 2006 , COM(2006) 724 final, and subs equent Council Conclusions. 
 
EN 6   EN For the thematic platform on  Energy security,  the Commission proposes4: 
Enhancing framework conditions and solidarity 
• Development and implementation of mutual energy support and security 
mechanisms, including early warning mechanisms and joint security actions. One 
of the objectives will be strengthen ing of energy security contacts and 
enhancement of energy crisis preparedness by establishing an EaP energy security 
panel, bearing in mind the possibility of formalising the EaP countries' interaction, 
on an ad-hoc basis, with the EU’s NESCO (Network of Energy Security 
Correspondents), Gas Coordination Group and the Oil Supply Group and bearing 
in mind the work being undertaken in other fora. 
Support for infrastructure development, inte rconnection and diversification of supply  
• Development of an Energy Infrastructure  Action Plan taking into account the 
Second Strategic Energy review5, the TEN-E Guidelines6 and the EU Priority 
Interconnection Plan7. This will include the reha bilitation of existing and the 
development of new energy infrastructures  where appropriate, including energy 
interconnections between pa rtner countries and with the EU. Partners’ storage 
capacities for oil and gas should also be improved, including through the encouragement of joint storage arrangements.  
• Support for the rehabilitation the Ukrain ian gas transit network (for example 
through the planned intern ational investment c onference) and similar 
infrastructure in Belarus and the Republic  of Moldova, hereafter referred to as 
Moldova.  
• Exploration, together with  non-EaP energy partners as appropriate, the means to 
improve conditions for long-term suppl y and purchase commitments, transit 
guarantees, and infrastructure  security that would create a level playing-field and 
be attractive to third country suppliers and potential infrastructure investors. As appropriate, this will take account of th e provisions of existi ng instruments such 
as the Energy Community Treaty and the Energy Charter Treaty, as well as the 
relevant provisions of forthcoming DCFTAs.  
• The development, for those key infrastructures that face heightened non-
commercial risks, public-private partnerships,  bringing together the EU and 
partner countries, may also become incr easingly important. This approach could 
be applied to the rehabilitation of th e Ukrainian gas tran sit network and, as 
appropriate, for the Belarus and Moldovan ne tworks. It should also be considered 
as an instrument for better integrating the Southern Caucasus regional market.  
• Enhancement of political and practical suppor t for the realisation of the Southern 
energy corridor and development of similar measures in support of the extension 
                                                
 
4 A number of these proposals are addressed by the INOGATE Programme. 
5 An EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan, COM (2008) 744/4 
6 Decision No 1364/2006/EC 
7 COM (2006) 846 final/2, 23.2.2007 
 
EN 7   EN of the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline to Plock and other projects emanating from the 
western shore of the Black Sea.  
• Promotion of the development of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) facilities in Black 
Sea partner countries and in the EU itself. 
• Mobilisation of additional technical assistance and loans from EIB (and other 
International Financial Institutions), notably through the NIF (Neighbourhood 
Investment Facility), e.g. to increase pa rtners’ gas, oil and oil products storage 
capacities, hydrocarbon processing and tr ansportation infrastr uctures, and to 
upgrade electricity interconnections.  
• Support for the acceleration of Moldova’s and Ukraine’s accession to the UCTE 
(Union for the Co-ordination of the Tr ansmission of Electricity) network. 
Harmonisation of energy policies 
• Organisation of seminars, workshops and training sessions on the EU energy 
acquis  covering a wide range of  areas (e.g. internal energy market; renewable 
energy; energy efficiency). 
• Twinning and networking, and as appropriate  the establishment of associations, 
between EU and EaP energy institutions active in the energy field (regulators, 
energy efficiency and renewable energy agencies). 
• Development of an energy dialogue with  participation of EU and partners’ 
industry. 
 
EN 8   EN  
For the thematic platform on  Contacts between people , the Commission proposes: 
Culture 
• To launch a specific EaP Culture Programme that will strengthen the capacity of 
cultural operators in the re gion and enhance the role of culture as a force for 
reform, promotion of in ter-communal tolerance a nd social cohesion. This 
programme will be complemented by opportu nities to engage in transnational 
cultural cooperation in the whole ENP region through a dedicated window under the EC Culture Programme as of 2011.  
• To open a window to complement the Youth in Action Programme in the six 
partner countries. This would promote youth mobility and exchanges to enhance 
intercultural dialogue and mu tual understanding. It woul d also support the role of 
youth NGOs and other actors to strengthen civil society in th e partner countries. 
• To support the Council of Europe’s Ky iv Initiative on cultural heritage.  
Education and Research 
• To significantly increase funding for the Erasmus Mundus and TEMPUS 
programmes, thereby increasing student and academic exchanges and promoting 
higher education reform.  
• To support partners working towards refo rms in line with the Bologna Process 
and integration into the emerging European  Research and Higher Education Area. 
• To encourage partners to take advant age of the opportunities for teaching, 
research and conference grants in the field of European integration studies available through the Jean Monnet Programme. 
• To integrate partners more actively into the 7
th Framework Programme for 
Research and Development.  
Information Society and media 
• To foster cooperation among the partners ’ regulatory authorit ies for electronic 
communications as well as between them  and the regulators of the EU Member 
States. 
• To promote cooperation between the partners' and the EU Member States' 
authorities in charge of the development of the Information Society, including the 
widespread use of ICT by citizens,  business and the public sector. 
• To favour cooperation and circulation a udio-visual goods and services in 
compliance with Council of Europe and EU standards. 
• To explore the possibilities for creati ng joint media proj ects and promoting 
contacts among media stakeholders of different partner countries.  
 
EN 9   EN 2. INDICATIVE LIST OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP POTENTIAL FLAGSHIP INITIATIVES  
Integrated Border Management Programme 
Building on EU experience of upgr ading border management in the context of the 2004-2007 
enlargement and EU Border Assistance Mission s, a programme for introducing integrated 
border management at the EaP countries’ non-EU borders could be developed. This is a pre-
condition for effectively tackling customs fraud, trafficking and illegal migration, and thus for 
progress in key policy areas such as trade, cu stoms and visas. Setting up integrated border 
management structures aligned to EU standards is also an important pr erequisite for progress 
on the mobility of persons. Assistance for border demarcation, where appropriate, could also be provided in the frame of this initiative. 
SME Facility  
SMEs have an enormous potential for generati ng growth and employment. Their development 
in partner countries is hampered by an inadequa te legal framework and the lack of advisory 
services. In addition, despite significant efforts the financ ial sector remains behind its 
potential in serving the needs of SMEs a nd their development. The SME facility would 
support the needs of SMEs, and provide external  stimulus to growth and employment through 
the provision of techni cal assistance to the SMEs, SME support networks and the financial 
intermediaries and, if deemed suitable,  also of risk capital and loans.  
The facility could be modelled on similar instruments that have been developed for other 
transition countries, and be s upported through existing inst ruments such as the NIF. 
Administrative arrangements would be simplif ied through a single facility which would tap 
into the expertise and capacities of the Interna tional Financial Institutions’ active in the region 
through their involvement in its establishment a nd operation. In all cases the development of 
the facility will build upon existing structures  and operations in the area of SME support. 
Regional electricity markets,  improved energy efficiency a nd increased use of renewable 
energy sources 
An integrated and interconnected regional electr icity market in and with EaP countries will 
bring greater energy security fo r the partners and the EU. In addition, both the partners and 
the EU have a substantial poten tial to increase efficiency of  energy production, transmission 
and use (in the area of buildings, transport and industry). There are also  great opportunities for 
enhancing the use of indige nous renewable energy sources. However, an appropriate 
regulatory framework and financing mechanisms  need to be developed to realise these 
opportunities. Work under th is initiative will take into account the existing acquis  in this area 
and will include support provided through programme s such as the Intelligent Energy Europe 
and INOGATE.  
Focusing on these issues will enhance the secur ity of electricity supply, bring environmental 
benefits and decrease the need for energy  imports, thus improving energy security and 
reducing the import bill. 
 
EN 10   EN Southern energy corridor  
The EU and its partners share an  interest in enhancing energy security by dive rsifying energy 
transport routes and energy sources. The deve lopment of the strategic Southern energy 
corridor is one response to this quest for divers ification and has been id entified as one of the 
EU’s most important energy securi ty priorities. The participants  of the “Baku initiative” for 
EU-Black Sea/Caspian energy cooperation have advanced work on this corridor, inter alia  
with support provided under the INOGATE progr amme. Further action is necessary to 
strengthen the “Baku initiative” into a genuine  energy partnership and to work with the 
countries concerned, including thir d countries (e.g. Turkey, Caspia n littoral states), with the 
objective of rapidly securing firm commitments fo r the supply of gas an d the construction of 
the necessary energy infrastructure. 
Prevention of, preparedness for, and respo nse to natural and man-made disasters   
Recent years have seen a significant increase in na tural and man-made disasters, in particular 
floods, fires, health risks (epidemic, pandemi c), maritime pollution — resulting in loss of 
lives, destruction of economic and social infrastructure and cultural heritage, and 
displacement of people. Disasters can in a matte r of days have dramatic negative effects on 
economic growth potential as well as on the environment. Climate change is further 
aggravating this negative trend. This initiative will aim to pr event, prepare for and respond to 
disasters affecting the partner countries and th e EU, in view of the joint commitment to 
greater cooperation on disaster management. Th e co-operation will contribute to social and 
political stability in the region and as support co untries’ efforts to adapt to climate change.  
The objective is to strengthen disaster mana gement capacities at local, regional and national 
level, by establishing effectiv e cooperation between the EU (t he Community Civil Protection 
Mechanism) and the partner countries — and al so among the partner countries themselves. 
National civil protection authorities are the main  players. However, enhanced co-operation 
with other stakeholders is also essential, in cluding civil society orga nisations, international 
and donor organisations, and key lo cal and national players. A s hort to medium term objective 
is to negotiate and conclude agreemen ts on a formal co-operation framework. 
 
EN 11   EN 3. INTERFACE OF THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP MULTILATERAL FRAMEWORK WITH 
OTHER REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES  
The Black Sea Synergy  is a regional cooperation initiative covering five Eastern ENP 
countries as well as the Russian  Federation and Turkey. There is  substantial complementarity 
between the EaP and the Black Sea Synergy and other regional and international initiatives. 
At its core the Black Sea Synergy is a sea-ba sin cooperation aimed at solving problems which 
require region-wide efforts. As described above, the EaP will build on the declared will of partner countries to pursue alignment with th e European Union and/or their aspiration for 
European integration, rather than on the regional aspect.  
The Eastern Partnership should also draw on other regional and multilateral cooperation 
initiatives. In particular, it will take due regard of achievements of the Central European Initiative. The Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development has lately put 
forward several initiativ es, notably in the fields of trad e, transport and energy, which have 
repercussions for the EaP multilateral framework. The EaP will also promote strengthened implementation of multilateral environment agreements.  
Sectoral programmes of the European Uni on, such as the TRACECA (transport) and 
INOGATE (energy) that support the Baku Initiati ve, involve both ENP pa rticipants and other 
partners. They implement projects which bring the EU and Eastern Europe closer and deal 
with relevant aspects of regul atory approximation and energy s ecurity. Therefore a strong link 
should be established between these program mes and the EaP thematic platforms.  
The Eastern Partnership will also help to deve lop connections between its participants and 
cooperation frameworks for South- Eastern Europe, notably in the fields of transport, energy, 
environment and fight against trans-border crime.  
 
EN 12   EN 4. FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES  
Effective delivery of financial assistance With increased volumes of assistance and recour se to such tools as tw inning and TAIEX, that 
are adapted to institution-building needs,  implementation modalities will need some 
adjustment. In general, operational costs of public administrations will not be supported. 
Partner countries will be encouraged to system atically co-finance investments and to take 
more direct responsibility for the implemen tation of the assistance on their territory, 
especially through the further decentralisation of payment and contracting functions. The 
introduction of decentralised implementation is a lengthy process that will need to be carefully prepared and introduced. Any decision in this regard will be preceded by an audit of the recipient's financial control mechanisms.  
Improved donor coordination 
Coordination of EC and Member States’ assi stance to the six partne r countries should be 
strengthened in accordance w ith the Paris declaration. The Commission intends to use the 
upcoming Mid-Term review of ENPI progra mming documents to boost joint programming 
with interested Member States and enhance co-ordination with all donors. EU embassies, 
Member States’ development offices in the fiel d and the EC delegations in each of the six 
capitals should improve the exchange of info rmation in all sectors of assistance. These 
measures will enable EU Me mber States to channel funds  for the Eastern Partnership 
priorities and projects.  
Leveraging more investment funding  
Investment needs in EaP partne r countries are huge. Substantia l progress in implementing the 
governance and reform agenda will make part ner countries more attractive for foreign 
investors and, as a result, increase FDI flows.  It is important for EIB, EBRD and other 
International Financial Institutions to step up th eir efforts to identify suitable investment 
projects in partner countries and assist their reform and modernisation efforts.  
EIB and EBRD have identified a promising list of  potential operations in Eastern Europe. The 
EIB lending mandate for Eastern Europe in 2007-13 has a sub-ceiling of €3.7 billion and this 
could be reached well before  2013. For this reas on, in the framework of the Mid-Term 
Review of external assistance instruments, th e Commission will consider the possibility of 
widening the scope and raising the relevant s ub-(EIB) ceiling of the EIB’s lending mandates 
from 2011. 
Technical assistance and the blending of grants  and loans will facilitat e financing projects, 
especially in partner countri es (e.g. Moldova) that have macro-economic constraints to 
excessively extend their foreign debt. In its fi rst few months of operations the Neighbourhood 
Investment Facility has already approved si x projects concerning Eastern neighbours. Grant 
funding of €14.8 million from the NIF has leverage d loan financing from European finance 
institutions worth €677 million. The NIF is opera ting on the basis of contributions from the 
Community budget (€250 million planned for 2007- 10) and EU Member States (€32 million 
pledged as of November 2008). The Commission ca lls on Member States to  further contribute 
to the Facility so as to match the Community fi nancial effort. This will allow the facility to 
further expand its operations.