JOINT STAFF WORKING PAPER Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2010Report: Eastern Partnership  JOINT STAFF WORKING PAPER Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2010Report: Eastern Partnership
Date: 2011-05-25
Institutions: European Commission, High Representative of the Union
Subjects: Central and Eastern European countries, European neighbourhood policy, State aid, association agreement, bilateral agreement, democracy, economic reform, human rights, political cooperation, political reform

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION FOR 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND 
SECURITY POLICY

Brussels, 25.5.2011 
SEC(2011) 641 final 

JOINT STAFF WORKING PAPER 

Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2010 
Report: Eastern Partnership 

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JOINT STAFF WORKING PAPER 

Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2010 
Report: Eastern Partnership 

1. 

INTRODUCTION  

The European Council of June 2008 invited the European Commission to present a proposal 
for an Eastern Partnership (EaP) towards EU’s Eastern partners1, emphasising the need for a 
differentiated  approach  respecting  the  character  of  the  European  Neighbourhood  Policy 
(ENP)  as  a  single  and  coherent  policy  framework.  The  Commission  Communication  of 
December 20082 proposed a partnership that includes a deeper bilateral engagement based on 
new contractual relations, a gradual integration with the EU economy, enhanced mobility and 
security, cooperation for secure energy supply, and enhanced support for economic and social 
development.  

The  2008  Communication  also  proposed  a  new  framework  for  multilateral  cooperation  in 
support  of  partners’  progress  in  their  bilateral  relations  with  the  EU.  The  multilateral  EaP 
framework  has  a  four  levels  structure:  Heads  of  State  or  Government,  Ministers  of  Foreign 
Affairs, four thematic platforms, and, at technical level, panels. Sector cooperation can also be 
enhanced through specific ministerial meetings. 

Significant  multilateral  projects  and  programmes  have  been  proposed  with  the  objective  of 
reinforcing the partnership by providing concrete benefits to the partner countries’ population 
and enhancing its visibility. 

The multilateral track of the EaP is run by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and 
includes the European Commission, the EU Member States and the six partner countries. In 
addition, it was proposed that participation would be open to interested stakeholders, such as 
EU  institutions,  international  organisations  and  European  Financial  Institutions.  A  Civil 
Society  Forum  (CSF),  an  EU-Neighbourhood  East  Parliamentary  Assembly  (EURONEST) 
and  an  Eastern  Europe  and  an  South  Caucasus  Local  and  Regional  Assembly  were  to  be 
established. 

Participation in EaP multilateral activities can be opened to third countries, on a case by case 
basis, subject to agreement by permanent participants that such participation would serve the 
common interest or contributes to the objectives of the EaP. 

The European Council of March 2009 welcomed the proposed approach. On 7 May 2009, the 
first  Eastern  Partnership  Summit  adopted  the  Prague  Declaration  that  commits  the  EU 
Member  States,  the  Partner  Countries,  EU  institutions  as  well  as  the  European  Investment 
Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).  

This report covers the progress made in the implementation of the Eastern Partnership to date. 
It  comes  as  an  annex  to  the  Joint  Communication  of  the  High  Representative  and  the 

1 Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine 
2 COM (2008) 823 

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Commission,  The  European  Union  and  its  changing  Neighbourhood,  and  should  be  read  in 
conjunction with the country progress reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic 
of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as the sector report. These documents describe more detail 
the progress made by the individual partner countries in implementing the ENP.  

2. 

BILATERAL DEVELOPMENTS 

Association Agreements – negotiating a new foundation for our relations 

Negotiations  on  the  Association  Agreement  with  Ukraine,  launched  in  2007,  continued  in  a 
constructive  atmosphere,  including  on  the  Deep  and  Comprehensive  Free  Trade  Area 
(DCFTA). Almost all chapters on Economic and Sector Co-operation are now provisionally 
closed.  In  addition,  almost  all  provisions  in  the  chapters  on  Institutional,  General  and  Final 
Provisions, and on Political Dialogue and Reform, Political Association, and Cooperation and 
Convergence  in  the  Field  of  Foreign  and  Security  Policy,  were  agreed.  Negotiations  on  the 
DCFTA  covers  a  wide  range  of  issues  (tariffs,  services,  customs  and  trade  facilitation, 
intellectual  property  rights,  sanitary  and  phytosanitary  standards,  public  procurement, 
geographical  indications,  trade  defence  instruments,  and  technical  barriers  to  trade). 
Negotiations on issues such as rules of origin, transparency, customs and public procurement 
were completed.  

Negotiations on the Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova were launched in 
January  2010  and  have  made  very  good  progress since then, including  through  five plenary 
rounds. A significant number of chapters of the agreement have been provisionally closed.  

Negotiations  on  Association  Agreements  with  Armenia,  Azerbaijan  and  Georgia  were 
launched in July 2010 and are advancing swiftly, with a fourth round of plenary negotiations 
which took place in March 2011. Moreover, efforts are underway to ensure that negotiations 
on a DCFTA with Armenia and Georgia as well as the Republic of Moldova can be launched 
as  soon  as  possible,  once  respective  partners  have  made  sufficient  progress  made  in  the 
implementation of the Commission’s “key recommendations” to each of them. 

Enhanced Mobility 

The EU has been responding to the strong request of partners for enhanced mobility through 
visa  facilitation  and  readmission  agreements  and  through  “gradual  steps  toward  full  visa 
liberalization  as  a  long-term  goal  for  individual  partner  countries  on  a  case-by-case  basis 
provided  that  conditions  for  well-managed  and  secure  mobility  are  in  place”,  as  outlined  in 
the Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit of May 2009. There has been 
good progress on this agenda: the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement was signed in June 
2010.  The  EU-Georgia  readmission  agreement  was  signed  in  November  of  the  same  year. 
Both entered into force in March 2011. The European Commission presented draft negotiating 
directives for Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements with Belarus in November 2010 
which were adopted by the Council in February 2011..  

The implementation of the EU-Republic of Moldova Mobility Partnership (Joint Declaration 
signed  in  June  2008)  and  the  EU-Georgia  Mobility  Partnership  (Joint  Declaration  signed  in 
November 2009) has continued to progress, providing the framework for the facilitating the 
movement of persons and legal migration as well as for the fight against irregular migration 

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and  trafficking  of  human  beings.  Preparations  for  developing  a  Mobility  Partnership  with 
Armenia have also started.  

Progress has been made in the EU-Ukraine visa dialogue (launched in autumn 2008) which 
has entered into the operational phase in November 2010 on the basis of an action plan setting 
out all technical conditions to be met by Ukraine before the possible establishment of a visa-
free  travel  regime  (visa  facilitation  and  readmission  agreements  with  Ukraine  have  been  in 
force  since  2008).  As  regards  the  Republic  of  Moldova,  following  the  launch  of  the  visa 
dialogue in June 2010 a similar draft action plan on visa liberalization with a view to the visa 
dialogue entering a fully operational phase was presented in January 2011 (Visa Facilitation 
and Readmission Agreements with the Republic of Moldova have been in force since 2008).  

Energy 

Energy  remained  high  on  the  agenda  of  cooperation  between  the  EU  and  the  EaP  partner 
countries. Ukraine signed the Protocol on the Accession to the Energy Community Treaty at a 
Ministerial  Council  meeting  in  Skopje  in  September  2010  and  acceded  to  the  Energy 
Community  Treaty  in  February  2011.  The  EU  continued  to  support  Ukraine’s  efforts  to 
become a full member of the Energy Community and to implement the necessary secondary 
legislation, especially in the area of gas and electricity. The EU called for further significant 
reforms to be undertaken to align the Ukrainian energy market with that of the EU, notably by 
restructuring Naftogaz and increasing financial transparency in the energy sector. In line with 
the March 2009  Investment  Conference Declaration  on  the  Modernisation  of  Ukraine’s  Gas 
Transit System, the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) provided finance in support of 
feasibility, environmental and social impact studies to prepare for loan mobilization.  

The  Republic  of  Moldova  acceded  to  the  Energy  Community  in  May  2010  and  is 
implementing energy sector reforms in accordance with the agreed commitments.  

In October 2010 meetings of the sub-committee on energy, transport and environment were 
held for the first time with Georgia and Armenia. Armenia requested the status of observer in 
the  Energy  Community.  The  European  Commission  and  Georgia  in  November  2010  a 
Georgia  Energy  Investment  Conference  to  attract  International  Financial  Institutions  (IFIs) 
and private sector finance. Energy cooperation with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan was further 
enhanced, in particular in the framework of the on-going efforts in support of the realisation 
of  the  Southern  Energy  Corridor.  With  a  view  to  strengthening  energy  security  the  EU 
reiterated its political support to natural gas infrastructure projects along the Southern Energy 
Corridor,  including  the  effective  start  of  Nabucco  gas  pipeline  project  and  the  launching  of 
exploratory talks on a Trans-Caspian link. The EU and Belarus held their regular expert level 
consultations on energy issues in October 2010.  

Comprehensive Institution Building (CIB) 

The  CIB  seeks  to  strengthen  a  number  of  core  institutions  that  are  central  in  preparing  the 
ground  for  and  implementing  future  Association  Agreements  (AAs),  including  Deep  and 
Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs), and making progress towards visa liberalisation 
as a long-term goal. A budget of EUR 173 million has been set aside for CIB implementation 
in  the  six  partner  countries,  through  the  relevant  2011-13  National  Indicative  Programmes. 
Work has been taken forward to launch preparatory activities ahead of the start of the fully-
fledged  CIB  activities.  As  foreseen  by  the  CIB  concept,  Framework  Documents  have  been 
developed jointly between each partner country and the European Commission. They list key 

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issues to be tackled in the areas identified as in need of reform, as well as core institutions that 
are  in  need  of  strengthening.  Agreement  on  these  objectives  is  object  of  a  series  of 
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the European Commission and the partner 
countries.  For  the  institutions,  or  clusters  of  institutions,  identified  in  the  Framework 
Document,  each  EaP  partner  country  develops  Institutional  Reform  Plans  (IRPs),  outlining 
reform  objectives,  measures  and  means  to  be  provided,  with  indicators  and  a  timeframe  for 
implementation,  and  the  sources  of  funding.  The  European  Commission  supports  specific 
components of the IRPs through the 2011-13 Annual Action Programmes. Support to the CIB 
is also open to donors, including EU Member States.. 

Following  programming  missions  in  the  spring  of  2010,  and  discussions  with  the  partner 
countries, Framework Documents were finalized with Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of 
Moldova,  and  Memoranda  of  Understanding  on  the  CIB  were  signed  with  Georgia  and 
Ukraine in October 2010 and with the Republic of Moldova in November 2010,  paving the 
way  for  the  CIB  implementation.  Framework  Documents  were  also  finalized  with  Armenia 
and  Azerbaijan,  and  corresponding  Memorandum  of  Understandings  were  signed  in 
November 2010 and January 2011, respectively. No discussions on CIB or CIB preparatory 
activities have taken place with Belarus.  

Regional Development 

So  far  as  Regional  Policy  dialogue  is  concerned,  in  addition  to  the  Memorandum  of 
Understanding signed with Ukraine in 2009, a joint declaration was signed with the Republic 
of  Moldova  in  July  2010  and  with  Georgia  in  March  2011.  Progress  with  the  work 
programmes associated with the agreements now in place with Ukraine and the Republic of 
Moldova was delayed by Government and Ministerial structure change until 2011. 

Strengthened Human Rights Dialogues 

The adherence to the shared values of democracy, rule of law, human rights and fundamental 
freedoms is the very foundation of the Eastern Partnership. Significant steps have been taken 
to  strengthen  bilateral  dialogues  on  these  matters.  Since  July  2009  three  rounds  of  Human 
Rights Dialogue have taken place with Georgia. The first meeting of the EU Armenia Human 
Rights Dialogue took place in December 2009 and the  second in  December  2010. Issues of 
democracy and human rights are also discussed with Azerbaijan in the framework of a new 
sub-committee  for  Justice  Liberty  Security  (JLS)  and  Human  Rights  and  Democracy  which 
was established in 2010. Its first meeting was held on 30 November-1 December 2010. With 
Ukraine  and  the  Republic  of  Moldova,  human  rights  discussions  in  the  framework  of  the 
respective  JLS  subcommittee  meetings  have  gained  new  momentum.  As  regards  Ukraine, 
human  rights  issues  are  extensively  reflected  in  the  new  EU-Ukraine  Association  Agenda, 
which replaces the former EU-Ukraine Action Plan. A dedicated and regular EU-Republic of 
Moldova  Human  Rights  Dialogue  was  launched  in  March  2010.  The  EU  and  Armenia 
launched  a  dedicated  and  regular  Human  Rights  Dialogue  in  December  2009.  The  EU  and 
Georgia further consolidated their exchange on human rights, with three dedicated meetings 
held  so  far.  The  EU  welcomed  Azerbaijan’s  readiness  to  engage  in  a  regular  dialogue  on 
human rights issues and democratization. 

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3. 

MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENTS 

The four thematic platforms that have been established in the multilateral track of the Eastern 
Partnership  are  meant  to  offer  stakeholders  with  flexible  spaces  of  discussion,  where 
experiences,  best  practices  and  lessons-learned  can  be  shared,  compared,  and  spread  among 
those who need them to support their own efforts. The work of the platforms is supported by 
expert  panels  on  more  specific  subjects.  Several  flagship  initiatives,  financed  from  the  EU 
budget,  have  now  been  launched  in  sectors  where  cooperation  between  partner  countries  is 
crucial to success. In addition, a Civil Society Forum has been established and supported, with 
the  dual  goal  of  supporting  the  emergence  of  a  strong  and  effective  citizenship  in  partner 
countries, and integrate as much as possible the views of civil society in the workings of the 
Eastern Partnership.  

Thematic platforms 

The  four  thematic  platforms  address  areas  that  are  seen  as  crucial  to  the  objectives  of  the 
Eastern  Partnership.  They  cover  Democracy,  good  governance  and  stability;  Economic 
integration  and  convergence  with  EU  sector  policies;  Energy  security;  Contacts  between 
people.  Participants  include  the  Member  States  and  the  6  Partner  Countries,  EU  institutions 
and, when relevant, international organisations and IFIs. They may establish Panels to support 
their  work.  In  2010,  the  four  thematic  platforms  have  met  twice  and  have  started 
implementing  their  work  programmes.  They  have  established  several  panels  and  provided 
inputs  to  the  design  of  the  flagship  initiatives.  They  have  engaged  in  a  number  of  concrete 
activities  involving  a  broad  range  of  players.  Member  States  have  actively  contributed  and 
offered  support  and  expertise  to  seminars  and  training  programmes.  Assistance  from 
international  organisations  and  International  Financial  Institutions  (IFIs)  has  also  been 
provided.  

Platform 1 - Democracy, good governance and stability 

Platform 1 aims at promoting democratic principles, good governance and stability through by 
improving key sectors of governance. The current Work Programme of Platform 1 focuses on 
improved functioning of the judiciary, fight against corruption, public administration reform, 
and safe management of state borders 

In  the  field  of  integrated  border  management  Platform  1  has  established  a  panel  on 
Integrated  Border  Management.  It  has  organised  a  number  of  training  seminars  on  border 
management  strategies  and  action  plans,  risk  analysis,  document  integrity  and  security, 
detection of  forgeries  and  imposter  recognition,  detection of smuggled cigarettes and drugs, 
and protection of intellectual property rights. In relation to the Integrated Border Management 
flagship  initiative,  the  panel  reviewed  the  preparatory  study  carried  out  in  2010,  which 
included  a  needs  analysis,  proposals  for  pilot  projects  (infrastructures,  equipment,  and 
technical  assistance)  and    training  activities.  It  also  reviewed  the  proposals  by  the 
International  Centre  for  Migration  and  Policy  Development  (ICMPD)  on  further  training 
programmes.  Border  demarcation  issues  were  discussed  on  the  basis  of  the  expertise  of 
Finland and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. The future work of the panel 
will also be linked to the action plans on visa liberalisation prepared by partner countries. The 
Polish  idea  of  increasing  police  cooperation,  in  coherence  with  the  border  management 
flagship initiative, has received broad support.  

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The panel on the fight against corruption reviewed the situation in partner countries with the 
technical assistance of the Council of Europe. On that basis it identified a number of priority 
projects.  A  seminar  and  a  workshop  on  the  cooperation  between  State  authorities  and  civil 
society in the fight against corruption were organised in Warsaw by Poland. The Civil Society 
Forum is a permanent participant to this panel. 

Platform 1 have agreed to establish a panel on improving the judiciary and approved its terms 
of reference. Assistance will be provided through the Council of Europe. A first seminar was 
organised by the Czech Republic in December 2010. 

The  platform  also  decided  to  establish  a  panel  on  public  administration  reform.  Two 
seminars on the subject were organised respectively by the Diplomatic Academy of Estonia 
and the Czech Republic.  

The  implementation  of  the  activities  of  the  Platform  is  supported  by  the  Council  of  Europe 
through  a  new  facility  that  has  been  agreed  for  that  purpose.  The  contract  was  signed  in 
December  2010  and  implementation  of  activities  started  in  March  2011.  The  facility  covers 
activities  in  the  areas  of  electoral  standards,  judicial  reform,  good  governance,  the  fight 
against corruption, and cooperation against cybercrime.  

Platform 2 - Economic integration and convergence with EU sector policies 

Platform  2  covers  issues  that  can  help  partner  countries  to  coordinate  more  closely  in  the 
economic field. Economic convergence and regulatory convergence are the key objectives in 
this  field.  A  number  of  activities  have  taken  place,  which  all  contribute  to  these  central 
objectives.  

In  the  field  of  trade,  a  very  active  panel  was  established  in  November  2009  and  held  five 
meetings  in  2010,  covering  a  wide  variety  of  subjects,  in  support  of  the  trade  negotiations 
taking place in the bilateral track: 

•  Customs  cooperation  and  trade  facilitation  (March  2010):  the  agenda  included 
the  role  of  strategic  planning  for  customs  modernisation.  The  European 
Commission  presented  the  customs  policy  of  the  EU,  with  contributions  from 
Poland and Ukraine. The EaP partner countries committed to share their existing 
strategies with the European Commission and to revise them if necessary to bring 
them in line with EU standards and the objectives of the future DCFTAs. 

•  Sanitary,  Phytosanitary  (SPS)  and  animal  welfare  issues  (July  2010):  The 
discussion focused on SPS harmonisation as a tool to facilitate regional trade and 
economic integration. 

•  Intellectual  Property  Rights  (October  2010):  the  European  Commission  kicked 
off  the  debate  with  presentations  on  copyrights,  industrial  property  rights  (IPR), 
the enforcement of IPR, and the role of customs and international cooperation in 
this  field.  The  Republic  of  Moldova,  Azerbaijan  and  Georgia  shared  their  own 
experiences in the field of IPR with participants.  

•  Public  Procurement  (November  2010):  The  EU  public  procurement  acquis  – 
general legislation, remedies, e-procurement and the role of public procurement in 

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Free Trade Agreements – was presented to participants. The Romanian National 
Authority for Regulation and Monitoring of Public Procurement informed how the 
EU  acquis  is  implemented  in  Romania.  Azerbaijan,  Georgia  and  Ukraine 
explained their respective public procurement regimes.  

•  Business  to  Business  Contacts  (November  2010):    The  meeting  focused  on 
business to business and business to government contacts. In this context, the role 
of  Chambers  of  Commerce  and  other  business  organization  in  the  DCFTA  was 
discussed.  A  large  number  of  business  organisations  from  EaP  partner  countries 
participated.  The  idea  of  creating  a  process  that  would  bring  business 
organisations closer to their counterparts in the EU found strong support. Follow-
up  activities  should  involve  European  organisations  and  should  complement 
ongoing work. The meeting provided useful input for the next business to business 
meeting of the trade panel. 

As  regards  Environment  and  Climate  Change,  a  panel  was  established  in  November  2009 
and  the  flagship  initiative  on  Environmental  Governance,  including  the  development  of  a 
Shared Environmental Information System was launched in March 2010. The panel agreed to 
launch a study on opportunities for the promotion of a greener economy in partner countries, 
financed    by  the  European  Commission.  The  first  seminar  on  climate  change  was  held  in 
November 2010 and there is agreement to hold one on the green economy in July 2011. 

A panel on Enterprise and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Policy started working in 
October  2010  on  the  theme  “Enterprise  Policy  Performance”,  in  a  programme  developed 
jointly by the Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation in Europe (OECD), 
the  European  Training  Foundation  and  the  European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and 
Development  (EBRD).  A  comprehensive  report  on  Enterprise  Policy  Performance  in  the 
region  will  be  prepared  for  mid-2012.  The  panel  discussions  focused  on  the  EU  Small 
Business  Act  and  on  the  review  of  SME  policies  in  partner  countries.  In  the  context  of  the 
SME  Flagship  Initiative  the  panel  discussed  the  East-Invest  programme  implemented  by 
Eurochambres  and  the  Turn  Around  Management/  Business  Support  Services  (TAM/BAS) 
programme of the EBRD. 

In  May  2010  cooperation  in  the  field  of  Transport  was  launched,  focusing  in  particular  on 
road safety. 

A regional conference on “Trends and Challenges of Labour Market and Employability in 
the  six  EaP  Countries”  was  organised  in  Odessa  by  the  European  Commission  and  the 
European Training Foundation (ETF) in October 2010. Participants included senior officials 
from  relevant  ministries  of  all  EaP  countries,  experts  from  several  member  States  and 
international  organisations,  as  well  as  representatives  from  international  social  partner 
organisations  concerned  with  the  subject.  The  Europe  2020’s  Flagship  Initiative  “An  EU 
Agenda for New skills and Jobs” was discussed in this context.  

Platform 3 - Energy Security: 

The aim of Platform 3 is to provide the EU, its Member States and the Partner Countries an 
opportunity to engage in a dialogue on how to develop and implement mutual energy support 
and security mechanisms. Core objectives of this platform include support for infrastructure 

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development;  interconnection  and  diversification  of  supply;  the  promotion  of  energy 
efficiency and use of renewables. 

In the field of Security of supply, partner countries agreed to prepare within a year reports on 
their security of supply inspired by the practice within the EU. Partner countries gave for the 
first  time  presentations  on  the  situation  of  their  security  of  supply  at  the  third  platform 
meeting of October 2010. The security of supply statements should help identifying the need 
for investment in energy infrastructure. Partner countries indicated their interest in developing 
regional  gas  and  electricity  links..  Infrastructure  will  be  financed  essentially  by  the  private 
sector,  but  partners  called  for  support  from  the  EU  as  well.  At  the  October  2010  Platform 
meeting participants also addressed the issue of security of oil supply. 

Electricity,  gas  and  oil  interconnections  were  discussed  extensively.  A  workshop  on 
electricity interconnections was organised in July 2010. 

The  platform  allowed  the  establishment  of  a  dialogue  between  stakeholders  on  renewable 
energy.  It  focused  on  energy  efficiency  in  buildings,  including  the  legal  framework;  the 
financing of energy efficiency projects; support available under the INOGATE3 programme; 
and  the  role  of  municipalities,  including  in  the  context  of  the  Covenant  of  Mayors,  an  EU-
supported initiative that promotes sustainable local energy policies.  

The  May  2010  meeting  of  the  Platform  was  dedicated  to  a  dialogue  on  the  promotion  of 
energy  efficiency.  In  October  2010,  the  European  Commission  and  the  Kreditanstalt  für 
Wiederaufbau (KFW) organised a workshop on financing sustainable energy. 

Platform 4 - Contacts between people:  

Platform  4  supports  the  interaction  between  EU  and  partner  countries’  citizens,  focusing  in 
particular on the youth. EU Member States and partners countries have started a dialogue on 
culture. Cooperation is organised in and around a number of Community programmes, new or 
existing,  in  the  areas  of  education,  youth  and  research.  Platform  4  also  supports  the 
development  of  the  information  society  in  the  partner  countries.  Attention  is  being  paid  to 
modernisation issues, mobility of students, teachers, researchers and young people.  

In  the  field  of  Education  two  seminars  on  the  Jean  Monnet  programme  were  organised  to 
underline  the  role  of  this  initiative  to  promote  EU  studies.  The  partial  extension  of  the  EU 
eTwinning programme for schools to partner countries, and possibly to Russia, was proposed. 
A presentation of the eTwinning programme including an indicative roadmap for participation 
was conducted in Chisinau in October 2010. A large regional Tempus and Erasmus Mundus 
information day will be organised in the second half of 2011 in Ukraine as well as an event on 
the mobility of students, scholars, researchers, youth and cultural actors from EaP countries ( 
in Poland in July 2011). 

An  EaP  Youth  Programme,  with  a  total  budget  of  EUR  4,5  million,  is  currently  under 
preparation  and  will  start  its  implementation  in  2012.  The  programme  seeks  to  promote 
greater  participation  by  young  people  in  the  social,  political  and  professional  spheres,  to 
develop the dialogue between young people and youth actors in the EU and EaP countries. It 
will provide capacity building to enhance the role of youth NGOs in EaP region. An expert 

3 

INOGATE is the EU funded main regional technical cooperation programme in the field of energy. It 
covers the Eastern Partnership countries as well as Central Asia. 

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round table for stakeholders of the new EaP Youth Programme from the EaP partner countries 
is going to be held in the Republic of Moldova in May 2011.  

The  EaP  Culture  Programme  encourages  the  development  of  local  cultural  policies.  It 
involves capacity building of institutions, monitoring, coaching and coordination of projects, 
collection and dissemination of results. A call for proposals was launched in October 2010 for 
a  value  of  EUR  8.4  Million.  A  regional  seminar  of  the  Culture  contact  persons  will  be 
organized in April 2011 in Georgia to discuss how to improve networking between the EaP 
partner countries.  

In 2009 and 2010 a Special Action of the Culture programme was dedicated to those countries 
that  covered  by  the  European  Neighbourhood  Policy  (ENP)  that  had  (1)  ratified  the  2005 
UNESCO  Convention  on  the  Protection  and  Promotion  of  the  Diversity  of  Cultural 
Expressions  and  (2)  had  signed  an  Association  or  Partnership  and  Cooperation  Agreement 
with  the  EU.  This  reflects  the  political  priority  of  reinforcing  the  role  of  culture  within  the 
ENP,  and  in  particular  the  EaP  countries,  as  means  of  contributing  to  better  mutual 
understanding and helping to develop civil societies in partner countries. It also contributes to 
the  promotion  and  implementation  of  the  UNESCO  Convention  on  cultural  diversity.  The 
Action aims at encouraging cooperation between cultural actors through financial support for 
projects involving at least three EU Member States and one third country (with at least 50% 
of the activity deployed in the third country). Nine applications involving EaP partners were 
selected with an overall  budget of EUR 2.64 million. 

In the field of the Information Society the work focused on the mapping of Information and 
Communication  Technology  (ICT)  actors,  on  the  identification  of  research  potential  and 
priorities,  on  training  and  assistance  to  the  actors  and  enhancement  of  the  ICT  policy 
dialogue.  Cooperation  between  telecoms  regulators  was  initiated  through  a  workshop  in 
Vienna.  Work  continued  on  the  improvement  of  high-speed  connectivity  with  partner 
countries under the Black Sea interconnectivity initiative.  
Increased participation of research entities from all EaP countries was proposed under the 7th 
Framework  Programme,  offering  a  whole  range  of  new  opportunities.  A  call  for  proposals 
was  successfully  launched  in  October  2010  for  the  programme  ‘Integrating  Europe's 
neighbours into the European Research Area (ERA-WIDE).  

One of the crucial objectives of Platform 4 is to facilitate the involvement of the EaP partners 
in the 7th Framework Programme. With this view, Platform 4 seeks to strengthen networking 
between the National Contact Points (NCPs) of the partner countries through participation in 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  EU  NCPs  and  through  participation  in  the  training  session  of  the 
legal and financial NCPs of the EU.  

The EaP Civil Society Forum (CSF):  

The CSF has become an integral part of the multilateral track of the EaP. Its main aim is to 
strengthen  the  role  of  Civil  Society  Organisations  (CSOs)  in  the  framework  of  the  EaP  and 
facilitate  their  dialogue  with  authorities  on  the  issues  the  EaP  deals  with.  In  2010  its 
representatives  presented  their  recommendations  in  the  spring  2010  round  of  Platform 
meetings. 

The CSF has been invited to participate in the activities of the several panels: Fight against 
Corruption, SMEs and Environment and Climate Change; Platform 1 has decided to invite the 
CSF to the panels on Public Administration Reform and Improved functioning of the Judiciary 

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to be established in 2011. Representatives of the CSF also attended the seminar on the Jean 
Monnet Programme and participated in the civil society consultation on the EU trade policy 
towards EaP countries, organised as a follow up to one of the CSF’s recommendations.  

The  CSF  is  structured  into  four  working  groups  reflecting  the  structure  of  the  four  EaP 
Platforms. Participants in the plenary meeting of the Forum elect a CSF Steering Committee 
which  manages  the  activities  of  the  CSF.  Throughout  2010  meetings  of  the  Steering 
Committee and working groups were held in order to, inter alia, elaborate a strategy for the 
further development of the Forum and prepare CSF recommendations on the implementation 
of the EaP. In 2010 a bottom-up process of establishing national CSF platforms was launched.  

The second plenary meeting of the Forum was held in Berlin on 18-19 November 2010. The 
Forum adopted recommendations on the implementation of the EaP, which were presented to 
the EaP Ministerial of December 2010. 

The EU-Neighbourhood East Parliamentary Assembly (EURONEST):  

EURONEST  is  the  parliamentary  dimension  of  the  EaP.  It  aims  at  promoting  dialogue  and 
exchanges  between  members  of  parliament  in  the  EU  and  EaP  areas,  and  to  promote 
democratic  reforms,  the  rule  of  law  and  good  governance  in  all  partner  countries.  Attempts 
made  at  establishing  the  EURONEST  in  2010  were  not  successful,  due  to  the  lack  of 
agreement on the participation of the representatives of Belarus. New attempts will be made 
in 2011. 

EaP Flagship Initiatives:  

The EaP is implemented through a very wide variety of projects and activities throughout the 
area. In addition to the activities of the platforms and the panels, the need has been identified 
for the multilateral track to focus on a number of initiatives where the cooperation of several 
EaP countries is crucial to the objectives. These initiatives show that many of the objectives 
of  the  EaP  need  partner  countries  to  join  their  efforts  in  pushing  forward  cooperative 
approaches to common problems.  

The Integrated Border Management (IBM) Flagship Initiative was launched in October 2009 
during the first meeting of the IBM Panel, and activities have effectively started in 2010. The 
general aim of this initiative is to improve security, reduce smuggling and human trafficking, 
and  facilitate  mobility  of  people.  It  also  aims  at  helping  partner  countries  to  develop 
integrated border management strategies and align border management rules to EU standards. 
An  assessment  of  needs  and  identification  of  pilot  projects  and  training  activities  were 
discussed  during  meetings  of  IBM  Panel  in  2010  (see  above  under  IBM  Panel).  A  contract 
with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) was signed at the 
end of 2010, for delivery of training activities (for a budget of EUR 2 million).  

The  SME  Flagship  Initiative  was  launched  in  2010  as  well  and  its  activities  have  started: 
support to business associations and SMEs, SME funding facility, including revolving funds 
and  technical  assistance  to  financial  intermediaries,  and  start  of  the  TAM/BAS  programme. 
The  East-Invest  programme,  with  a  budget  of  EUR  8.75  million  (of  which  EUR  7  million 
from  the  European  Commission)  in  support  of  business  associations,  was  launched  in 
November 2010. A first conference of partners took place in March 2011. A budget of EUR 5 
million  was  allocated  at  the  end  of  2010  to  support  the  Turn  Around  Management  and 
Business  Advisory  Services  (TAM/BAS)  programme  of  the  EBRD,  and  the  programme  is 
now in its inception phase. A contribution agreement between the Commission and the EIB, 

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the  EBRD  and  the  KfW  was  signed  at  the  end  of  2010  for  the  funding  of  the  facility 
component (EUR 15 million). 

The  Regional  Electricity  Markets,  Energy  Efficiency  and  Renewable  Energy  Sources 
Flagship Initiative has been launched as well. In that context, the INOGATE programme has 
identified  thirteen  on-going  projects  for  a  total  amount  of  approximately  EUR  46  million, 
which  cover  such  issues  as  sustainable  energy,  energy  market  convergence  and  security  of 
supply.  

A project supporting the participation of EaP cities in the Covenant of Mayors initiative was 
adopted in 2010 and activities are foreseen to start from May 2011, with a budget of EUR 5 
million. The project will include the establishment of a branch of the Convenant of Mayors 
Secretariat  in  the  region.  In  that  context  the  European  Commission  and  the  Covenant  of 
Mayors  organised  a  conference  in  Tbilisi  in  2010.  The  event  gathered  more  than  150 
participants from 45 cities mainly at mayor and deputy mayor level and attracted large media 
attention..  

The Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters Flagship 
Initiative  has  also  been  launched.  The  project  aims  at  strengthening  disaster  management 
capacities through enhanced cooperation between the EU and its partner countries. The needs 
assessment in preparation for the definition of a work programme was completed. A contract 
for the implementation of the first phase of the programme, with a budget of EUR 6 million, 
was signed in December 2010. The steering committee of the project will meet in June 2011. 

The Environmental Governance Flagship Initiative was launched in March 2010, during the 
first meeting of the environment panel. The first activity of the initiative focuses on improving 
the collection and management of environmental data, with a budget of EUR 3 million, and is 
underway.  A  start-up  project has been  carried  out  during  the  inception  phase  of  the  ENPI 
SEIS  project  (July-November  2010).  The  findings  of  the  project  were  discussed  with  the 
partner countries of the neighborhood in November 2010. This will allow a better focus of the 
activities of the implementation phase, including the definition of priorities fitting the needs 
of each country, and the definition of the specific role and contribution of each partner. The 
implementation of the SEIS project has been on-going since December 2010. First activities 
have focused on the identification of common indicators.  

The implementation of the Flagship Initiative on the Diversification of Energy Supplies has 
been delayed. More work is needed to identify objectives and activities that partners can agree 
to carry-out. 

4. 

MINISTERIAL MEETING   

The  second  annual  EaP  meeting  of  Foreign  Ministers  took  place  on  13  December  2010. 
Ministers  took  stock  of  progress  in  the  implementation  of  the  EaP  in  2010.  They  noted  the 
progress made in implementing the EaP and welcomed the work done under the guidance of 
the four thematic platforms. They expressed the need to continue with the implementation of 
the Flagship Initiatives and they underlined the need to identify additional financial resources 
to complement the contribution of the EU budget. They underlined the importance of strong 
coordination with International Financial Institutions and invited the EEAS to explore further 

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the  potential  of  the  informal  Information  and  Coordination  Group4.  They  expressed  support 
for increased involvement of the Civil Society Forum in the multilateral track of the EaP.  

Ministers  also  discussed  possible  areas  of  activities  for  the  EaP.  They  had  preliminary 
exchanges  on  cooperation  in  the  energy  and  transport  sectors;  the  participation  of  partner 
countries in EU programmes; the cooperation on conflict prevention and resolution; the role 
of civil society; and improving the mobility of certain categories of people, such as students, 
researchers, academics and business operators. 

Some partners underlined the need for more visibility of the EaP and its activities, and for the 
Flagship Initiatives to deliver tangible results for the citizens of partner countries. 

4 

Donor Group involving bilateral and multilateral donors and regional players (Canada, Japan, Norway, 
Russia,  Switzerland,  Turkey  and  the  United  StatesEIB,  EBRD,  World  Bank).  It  aims  at  promoting 
donor co-ordination and mobilising additional resources for EaP projects.  

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5. 

ANNEXE 

1. Summary table on the Comprehensive Institution Building Programmes;  

2. Summary table on the Flagship Initiatives; 

3.  Summary  table  on  the  EaP  multilateral  financing  activities  (CoE  facility,  Youth, 
CBC among partner countries ….)  

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CIB (Comprehensive institution building) Programme state of play  

Armenia 

Azerbaijan 

Georgia 

The Republic of 
Moldova 

Ukraine 

CIB Counterpart  Minister of Economy 

in dialogue with 
Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs 

Key reform 
challenges 

- Political 
association/economic 
integration (AA negs)  

- Visa Facilitation 
Readmission 
Agreements 

- Trade policy reform  

Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs for FD 
(Framework document) 
and political steer; 
Ministry of Economic 
Development for 
Institutional Reform 
Plans and 
implementation 

- Law enforcement, 
Visa Facilitation 
Readmission 
Agreements 

- Trade: WTO accession 

- Civil service reform 

Deputy Prime Minister 
and Minister of 
European and Euro-
Atlantic Integration 

General Secretariat of 
the Government (new 
name of the State 
Chancellery) 

Main Civil Service 
Department 

- Coordination of 
negotiations of 
Association Agreement, 

- Trade policy reform 

- Consolidation of  
democratic reforms  

(oversight institutions) 

- Rule of Law 

- Public administration 
reform 

- Deep and 
Comprehensive Free 
Trade Area preparation 
and implementation  

- EU regulatory 
approximation  

- Trade: Sanitary and 
Phyto-Sanitary issues 
and state aid monitoring 
- Migration  

State of 
negotiation of 

- Memorandum of 
Understanding signed 

Memorandum of 
Understanding and 

-  Memorandum of 
Understanding signed 

- Memorandum of 
Understanding signed 

- Memorandum of 
Understanding signed 

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Memorandum of 
Understanding 

on 24/11/2010 

Framework Document 
signed on 13/01/2011 

on 02/10/2010 in Tbilisi  on 15/05/2010 

October 2010  

- Framework Document 
signed on 26/11/2010 

- Institutional Reform 
Plans: work started 

- Institutional Reform 
Plans - work started 

- Institutional Reform 
Plans: initial discussion 
held in Kyiv, November 
2010 

State of 
preparation. of 
relevant 
Institutional 
Reform Plans 

- Work on Institutional 
Reform Plans has not 
started 

- Some activities 
included in Annual 
Action Programme 
2010 GBS programme 

- Institutional Reform 
Plans: preparatory work 
by Delegation done. 
Ready to launch 
framework contracts to 
support the authorities 
of the country.  

Institutions to be 
part of CIB 

- Cluster 1: Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs 

- Cluster 2: Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs , 
Migration Services, 
National Security 
Services, Police 

- Cluster 3 : Ministry of 
Economy and a number 
of implementing 
agencies 

- Cluster 1: Assocation 
Agreement negotiation. 
bodies (neg. teams = 
Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs), Diplomatic. 
Academy, Civil Service 
Commission 

- Cluster 3 = Ministry 
of Economic 
Development (incl. 
WTO accession negs) 

- Cluster 4 = Min. 
Justice, State Migration 

EN 

- Delegation has hired 
experts under 
framework contracts. 

Their preliminary. work 
will form basis for 
drafting Institutional 
Reform Plans 

- Cluster 1: Association 
Agreement negotiation. 
bodies (negotiation. 
teams = Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs; 
Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and European 
Integration; Prime 
Minister’s office; Civil 
Registry 

- Cluster 2 : 
Consolidation of Terms 
of Ref (Ombudsman, 
Parliament, Chamber of 

16 

- Cluster 1: General 
Secretariat of the 
Government 

- Cluster 2: Internal 
Affairs Min., Centre for 
Combating Economic 
Crime and Corruption 
(or successor 
administration) GPO 

- Cluster 3:  

Ministries: Economy, 
Agric., General 
Inspectorate for 

- Cluster 1: Secretariat 
of Cabinet of Ministers; 
Ministerial. Department 
of Civil Service; 
Ministry of  Economy.; 
Ministry of Finance. 

- Cluster 2: Ministry. Of 
Agrarian Policy, State 
Committees for 
Technical. Regulation. 
for Veterinary. 
Medicine, National 
Commission for Codex 
Alimentarius 

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Service, State Border 
Service, Min. Interior, 
Labour Migration 
Department  of Ministry 
of Labour & Social 
Protection 

Control) 

- Cluster 3: Deep and 
Comprehensive Free 
Trade Area negotiations 

Phytosanitory 
Surveillance & Seed 
Control, Competition 
Agency; Procurement 
Agency; Intellectual 
Property Rights Agency 

- Cluster 3: 
Antimonopoly 
Commission, Ministry 
of Finance. 

- Cluster 4: Ministry of 
Interior; State 
Committee for 
Nationalities and 
Religions; State Border 
Guard Service 

C. Vardakis,  EEAS,   EaP bilateral relations  - (cid:11) 93345 

18.04.2011 

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Eastern Partnership Flagship Initiatives  

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18 

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EaP Flagship Initiative 

Project name 

Budget 

Comments 

EaP – IBM Flagship Initiative Training project 

€2 million 

Under Regional East Programme 2010 

Integrated Border Management (IBM) 

South Caucasus Integrated Border Management (SCIBM) 

€6 million 

Pilot projects at the borders between partner countries 

€5 million 

Under  Regional  East  Programme  2009  (also 
contributing to the objectives of the Flagship) 

Under 
Programme 2011 

preparation 

under  Regional  East 

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) 
Facility 

Regional Electricity Markets, Energy 
efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources 
(objectives of the flagship are supported in 
the framework of the INOGATE 
programme) 

East-Invest Program - Support for development of  

€7 million 

Under Regional East Programme 2009 

business associations and networking 

Turn  Around  Management  and  Business  Advisory 
Services (TAM/BAS) 

€5 million 

Under Regional East Programme 2010 

SME Funding Facility 

€15 million 

Under Interregional Programme 2010 

-  Strengthening  institutional  capacity  for  sustainable 
energy governance (INOGATE)  

€8 million 

Under Regional East Programme 2010 

-  Support 
Cooperation (INOGATE) 

to  Energy  Security 

through  Statistical 

Support  to  the  establishment  of  Sustainable  Energy 
Action Plans for EaP and Central Asian Cities joining the  
"Covenant of Mayors" 

(foreseen  to  be  joined  with  the  2011  allocation 
under the INOGATE Secretariat) 

€5 million 

Under Regional East Programme 2010 

Harmonisation of Electricity standards (INOGATE) 

€1,5 million 

Under  Regional  East  Programme  2006  (also 
contributing to the objectives of the Flagship) 

Energy  Market  Integration  and  Sustainable  Energy  –
SEMISE (INOGATE) 

€5,7 million 

Under  Regional  East  Programme  2007  (also 
contributing to the objectives of the Flagship) 

Strengthening the INOGATE Technical Secretariat 

€2,9 million 

Energy Efficiency in Buildings (ESIB) (INOGATE) 

€4,5 million 

Under  Regional  East  Programme  2007  (also 
contributing to the objectives of the Flagship) 

Under  regional  East  Programme  2008  (also 
contributing to the objectives of the Flagship) 

Prevention, Preparedness and Response to 
natural and man-made Disasters (PPRD) 

Prevention,  Preparedness  and  Response  to  natural  and 
man-made Disasters – PPRD East Phase I 

€6 million 

Under Regional East programme 2009 

EN 

Improved  collection  and  management  of  environmental 
data, 
Shared 
Environmental Information System (SEIS)  

including 

elements 

ground 

for 
19 

€3 million 

Under Regional East Programme 2009 

EN 

FLEG – Improving Forest Law and Governance  

€6 million 

Under  Regional  East  Programme  2007  (also 
ti

f th Fl

t ib ti

hi )

th

bj

t

 
  
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20 

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Eastern Partnership multilateral financing activities 

Project name 

EaP Culture Programme 

Budget 

€12 million 

Com

Under  Regional  East  programme  2
2010 (€9 million) 

Council of Europe Facility 

€4 million 

Under Regional East Programme 2 0

Eastern Partnership Youth Programme 

€4.5 million 

Under preparation under the Regio n

Eastern Partnership Territorial Cooperation Support Programme 

€6 million 

Under preparation under the Regio n

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