JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2011 Regional Report : Eastern Partnership Accompanying the document JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Delivering on a new European Neighbourhood Policy
Date: 2012-05-15
Institutions: European Commission, High Representative of the Union
Subjects: Caucasus countries, EU programme, European neighbourhood policy, Moldova, Ukraine, association agreement, cooperation policy

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

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

Brussels, 15.5.2012  
SWD(2012) 112 final 

JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2011 
Regional Report : Eastern Partnership 

Accompanying the document 

JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, 
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Delivering on a new European Neighbourhood Policy 

{JOIN(2012) 14 final} 
{SWD(2012) 110 final} 
{SWD(2012) 111 final} 
{SWD(2012) 113 final} 
{SWD(2012) 114 final} 
{SWD(2012) 115 final} 
{SWD(2012) 116 final} 
{SWD(2012) 117 final} 
{SWD(2012) 118 final} 
{SWD(2012) 119 final} 
{SWD(2012) 120 final} 
{SWD(2012) 121 final} 
{SWD(2012) 122 final} 
{SWD(2012) 123 final} 
{SWD(2012) 124 final} 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION   

In  2011  the  Eastern  Partnership  (EaP)  consolidated  and  advanced  steadily  on  both 
bilateral  and  multilateral  tracks.  However,  despite  many  achievements,  the  limited 
progress and, in some countries, regression in democracy, the rule of law and human 
rights remains a challenge which must be faced in the years ahead. 

2011 saw increased engagement on the part of stakeholders whose support is crucial if 
the  ambitious  goals  of  the  Partnership  are  to  be  achieved.  On  3  May  2011,  the  EaP 
was  given  a  parliamentary  dimension,  with  the  establishment  of  the  Euronest 
Parliamentary Assembly (PA). On 8 September 2011, the Conference of Regional and 
Local  Authorities  of  the  EaP  (CORLEAP)  met  for  the  first  time  and  laid  the 
foundations  for  a  regional  dimension  of  the  EaP.  To  involve  economic  operators  in 
implementation  of  the  Partnership  on  more  regular  basis,  the  first  EaP  Business 
Forum was organised on 30 September 2011. These new strands of cooperation have 
complemented  the  thriving  EaP  Civil  Society  Forum  (CSF),  which  involves  civil 
society  organisations  from  Eastern  European  countries  and  the  EU.  In  all  six  EaP 
countries,  CSF  national  platforms  have  been  established,  providing  civil  society 
organisations with a chance to engage in implementation of the EaP at country level.  

A  Joint  Communication  of  the  High  Representative  (HR)  and  the  European 
Commission ‘A New Response to a Changing Neighbourhood’ of 25 May 2011 gave 
additional  momentum  to  development  of  the  EaP.  Key  elements  of  the  revised 
Neighbourhood policy were implemented by the second EaP Summit in Warsaw (29-
30 September 2011). The Warsaw Summit reiterated that the main goal of the EaP is 
to support Eastern European countries’ reform processes with a view to accelerating 
their  political  association  and  economic  integration  with  the  European  Union  (EU). 
The  Summit  acknowledged  the  European  aspirations  of  some  partners.  The 
participants  also  agreed  that,  as  proposed  in  the  May  Communication,  greater 
differentiation  and  mutual  accountability  will  be  applied  more  systematically  to 
implementation  of  the  EaP.  The  pace  of  reforms  will  determine  the  intensity  of  the 
cooperation  and  partners  most  engaged  in  reforms  will  benefit  more  from  their 
relationship  with  the  EU,  including  in  the  form  of  increased  EU  support.  The 
participants  agreed  that  economic  integration  remains  the  centrepiece  of  the 
Partnership. However, economic reforms will not be sustainable without political ones 
-  hence  the  emphasis  on  shared  values  of  democracy,  human  rights  and  the  rule  of 
law.  In  this  context,  the  involvement  of  civil  society  is  indispensable  if  ambitious 
reforms  are  to  succeed.  Therefore,  support  for  civil  society  has  been  considerably 
increased  with  the  establishment  of  a  Neighbourhood  Civil  Society  Facility  in 
September  2011.  At  the  same  time,  a  ’European  Endowment  for  Democracy’  will, 
once  established,  allow  the  EU  to  provide  additional  support  for  those  who  are 
engaged  in  democratic  causes  in  the  region.  The  Summit  also  highlighted  the 
importance of enhanced mobility of citizens as a key objective of the Partnership and 
agreed  that  visa-free  regimes  -  on  a  case-by-case  basis  -  are  the  final  goal  of  the 
cooperation in this area. 

2011  brought  substantial  progress  on  the  bilateral  track  of  the  EaP.  Negotiations  on 
the Association Agreement (AA) including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade 
Area (DCFTA) with Ukraine were finalised. Progress was made in the preparation for 

2

 
 
the  launching  of  negotiations  on  a  DCFTA  with  the  Republic  of  Moldova,  Georgia 
and  Armenia,  as  an  integral  part  of  the  ongoing  AA  negotiations.  This  led  to  the 
decision, in December 2011, to launch negotiations with the Republic of Moldova and 
Georgia andin February 2012 the decision was taken for Armenia. 

Progress was also made on mobility of citizens. Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova 
pursued  the  implementation  of  their  respective  Action  Plans  on  visa  liberalisation. 
The  second  progress  reports  on  the  implementation  of  the  Action  Plan  on  Visa 
Liberalisation were presented in February 2012. While implementation of the existing 
Facilitation  and  Readmission  Agreements  between  the  EU  and  Ukraine  and  the 
Republic  of  Moldova  continued  in  2011,  negotiations  on  amendments  to  those 
Agreements  were  concluded  in  December  2011  and  January  2012  respectively.  The 
Commission launched negotiations of Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements 
with Armenia and Azerbaijan in March 2012, following the adoption by the Council 
of  negotiating  directives  in  December  2011.  Visa  Facilitation  and  Readmission 
agreements with Georgia entered into force in March 2011. Such agreements have so 
far  been  implemented  effectively.  A  visa  liberalisation  dialogue  with  Georgia  might 
start  soon.  Mobility  was  also  facilitated  through  the  implementation  of  the  EU  Visa 
Code. In October 2011 Armenia and the EU launched a Mobility Partnership. It is the 
third EU Mobility Partnership with an Eastern Partnership country following the ones 
signed  with  the  Republic  of  Moldova  and  Georgia  in  2008  and  2009  respectively. 
Mobility Partnerships are innovative and comprehensive tools to foster cooperation on 
migration  and  mobility  issues,  including  legal  migration,  the  fight  against  irregular 
migration, international protection, and migration and development. 

Bilateral  cooperation  was  also  strengthened  by  dedicated  human  rights  dialogue 
meetings with Eastern partners, in addition to and complementing the regular political 
dialogue meetings.  

Throughout  2011,  the  EU  pursued  a  policy  of  critical  engagement  towards  Belarus. 
Following the crackdown on civil society and the opposition after the December 2010 
Presidential  elections,  the  EU  significantly  increased  its  support  to  civil  society.  In 
parallel, it also imposed a number of restrictive measures on Belarus. In June 2011 the 
EU  proposed  to  Belarus  the  launch  of  negotiations  on  Visa  Facilitation  and 
Readmission  Agreements.  The  EU  also  prepared  for  the  launch  of  a  ‘European 
dialogue  on  modernisation’  with  Belarusian  society  on  reforms  necessary  for 
modernisation of the country and on the related potential development of its relations 
with  the  EU.  Belarus  continued  to  participate  in  the  multilateral  track  of  the  EaP, 
including platforms and panels. 

The report which follows covers the progress made with implementation of the EaP in 
2011. It is an annex to the Joint Communication of the High Representative and the 
Commission,  XXX,  and  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the  country  progress 
reports  on  Armenia,  Azerbaijan,  Georgia,  the  Republic  of  Moldova  and  Ukraine, 
which  describe  in  more  detail  the  progress  made  by  the  individual  partners  on 
implementing the EaP. 

3

 
 
2. 

A DEEPER BILATERAL ENGAGEMENT 

2.1. 

Political association  

(cid:190) 

Association Agreements (AAs) 

To  prepare  the  ground  for  the  political  association  of  partners  with  the  EU,  work 
towards  deepening  political  relations  continued,  with  a  key  focus  on  negotiation  of 
AAs.  Such  negotiations  were  conducted  with  Ukraine,  the  Republic  of  Moldova, 
Armenia,  Azerbaijan  and  Georgia.  Due  to  the  political  circumstances  prevailing 
within  the  country,  Belarus  did  not  participate  in  the  bilateral  track  of  the  Eastern 
Partnership during the reporting period. 

Ukraine:  Four  plenary  meetings  (the  18th  to  21st  since  the  beginning  of 
negotiations)  plus five rounds of  DCFTA negotiations (bringing the total number of 
rounds  to  18)  were  held  alternately  in  Brussels  and  Kiev  in  2011.  Several  technical 
contacts supplemented the talks throughout the year. At the 15th EU-Ukraine Summit 
meeting on 19 December, EU and Ukrainian leaders noted that the chief negotiators 
had reached a common understanding on the full text of the AA. This paved the way 
for technical completion of the final consolidated version of the document, including 
its DCFTA part, with a view to initialling and, provided political conditions permit, its 
signature and ratification. 

Republic  of  Moldova:  Very  good  progress  continued  to  be  made  on  the  AA 
negotiations.  Four  plenary  meetings  (the  5th  to  8th)  were  held  in  Brussels  and 
Chisinau  alternately  in  2011.  In  December  the  EU  announced  that  the  Republic  of 
Moldova had made sufficient progress with implementation of the Commission’s key 
recommendations  to  launch  the  DCFTA  negotiations.  The  negotiations  started  in 
February 2012. 

Armenia: Four plenary meetings (the 4th to 7th) were held in Brussels and Yerevan 
alternately in 2011. Very good progress was recorded under the Common Foreign and 
Security Policy (CFSP) and Justice, Freedom and Security (JFS) titles where most of 
the text has been agreed. The parties agreed to discuss a few specific paragraphs at a 
later stage. Excellent progress was also recorded under the Sectoral Policies title (21 
chapters  closed  out  of  28).  In  February  2012  the  EU  announced  that  Armenia  had 
made  sufficient  progress  with 
the  Commission’s  key 
recommendations to launch the DCFTA negotiations.  

implementation  of 

Georgia:  Four  plenary  meetings  (the  4th  to  7th)  were  held  in  Brussels  and  Tbilisi 
alternately in 2011. In November, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution 
on these negotiations. Very good progress was recorded under the CFSP and JFS titles 
where most of the text has been agreed. The parties agreed to discuss a few specific 
paragraphs  at  a  later  stage.  Excellent  progress  was  also  recorded  under  the  Sectoral 
Policies  title  (20  chapters  closed  out  of  28).  At  the  end  of  2011,  the  EU  decided  to 
start  negotiations  on  a  DCFTA  (as  an  integral  part  of  the  AA).  The  negotiations 
started in February 2012. 

Azerbaijan: Three plenary meetings (the 3rd to 5th) were held in Brussels and Baku 
alternately  in  2011  and  all  the  topics  of  the  AA  (including  trade  issues)  were 
addressed. Good progress was recorded on Sectoral Policies (13 chapters closed out of 

4

 
 
28),  Trade  and  JFS.  Discussions  on  the  CFSP  title  proved  more  difficult  and  the 
parties agreed to hold additional sessions on this topic. 

(cid:190) 

Strengthened human rights dialogues (HRD) 

The  commitment  to  the  values  of  democracy,  rule  of  law,  human  rights  and 
fundamental freedoms lies at the heart of the EaP. In 2011, further steps were taken 
to strengthen bilateral dialogues on these matters. In April, the EU held the second 
round of its HRD with the Republic of Moldova. In June, the fourth round of the HRD 
with  Georgia  took  place.  The  third  meeting  of  the  EU-Armenia  HRD  followed  in 
December. In May, for the first time, the EU and Ukraine held a discussion on human 
rights  questions  within  the  JFS  Sub-committee.  Issues  related  to  democracy  and 
human rights were also discussed with Azerbaijan in the Sub-committee for JFS and 
Human Rights and Democracy in November. 

The  HRD  were  complemented  by  joint  civil  society  seminars,  allowing  non-
governmental  organisations  and  experts  from  both  sides  to  have  an  in-depth 
discussion on human rights issues and to make recommendations to the participants in 
the dialogues. In 2011, seminars of this kind took place in Azerbaijan, the Republic of 
Moldova and Armenia. 

2.2. 

Economic Integration 

(cid:190) 

Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) 

Except for Belarus, in 2011 the EU continued negotiations with all EaP countries on 
AAs which will provide, inter alia, the establishment of DCFTAs. In the cases of the 
Republic  of  Moldova,  Georgia  and  Armenia,  negotiations  were  subject  to  the 
precondition  that  these  countries  fulfil  a  number  of  key  recommendations.  With 
Ukraine,  negotiations  on  the  DCFTA  were  finalised  in  December  2011  as  an 
integral part of the AA negotiations. Also in December 2011, the EU concluded that 
Georgia and the Republic of Moldova had made sufficient progress in trade-related 
reforms  required  for  the  start  of  negotiations  on  a  DCFTA  and  took  a  decision  to 
launch  these  negotiations.  In  2011,  Armenia  made  significant  progress  in  the 
preparations  for  the  DCFTA  negotiations  by  advancing  with  implementation  of  the 
necessary reforms, focusing on sanitary and phytosanitary issues, technical barriers to 
trade  and  on  intellectual  property  rights.  Following  a  recommendation  from  the 
Commission, in February 2012 the Trade Policy Committee agreed that Armenia had 
made 
the  Commission’s  key 
recommendations and that negotiations on a DCFTA could start soon. 

sufficient  progress  on 

implementation  of 

(cid:190) 

Macro-economic dialogues 

In  2011,  macro-economic  dialogues  were  conducted  with  the  six  EaP  countries. 
These  allowed  a  frank  exchange  on  economic  developments  and  policy  challenges, 
including on the implications of the sovereign debt crisis in the euro area for the EaP 
countries.  The  dialogues  provided  an  opportunity  to  review  implementation  of  the 
economic  reform  priorities  identified  in  the  ENP  Action  Plans  and  the  Association 
Agenda.  They  took  into  account  the  ongoing  EU  macrofinancial  assistance  (MFA) 
programmes, which help partner countries to address short-term balance of payments 
difficulties.  The  Republic  of  Moldova’s  MFA  programme,  about  to  be  completed, 

5

 
 
offered €90 million in grant money, of wh ich €60 million had been disbursed by the 
end of the year. The Ukraine programme, now being prepared, involves €610 million 
in loans. Armenia has benefited from €100 m illion in grants and loans, and Georgia’s 
€46  million  is  still  awaiting 
the  legislative  approval.  The  macro-economic  dialogue 
with Belarus was the first of its kind and resulted in the joint signature of conclusions 
committing  the  Belarusian  authorities  to  strengthen  macro-economic  stability  and 
systemic reform efforts. 

2.3.  Mobility  

As reiterated by the EaP Warsaw Summit in September, enhancing mobility of citizens 
in  a  secure  and  well-managed  environment remains a guiding principle of the EaP.  This 
objective includes establishment of visa free regimes in due course, on a case by case 
basis. Specific steps have already been taken to make it easier, cheaper and faster for 
Eastern neighbours to enter the EU, with visa facilitation agreements as an intermediate 
step  towards  visa  free  travel.  Implementation  of  the  Visa  Facilitation  and 
Readmission  Agreements  between  the  EU  and  Ukraine  and  the  Republic  of 
Moldova  continued  in  2011,  and  new  agreements  with  Georgia  on  the  same  subject 
entered  into  force  in  March  2011.  The  first  two  meetings  of  the  EU-Georgia  Joint 
Committee  in  2011  assessed  implementation  of  the  new  agreements  as  smooth  and 
effective.  Negotiations  on  amendments  to  the  EU-Republic  of  Moldova  and  EU-
Ukraine Visa Facilitation Agreements were finalised. Negotiations of Visa Facilitation 
and  Readmission  Agreements  with  Armenia  and  Azerbaijan  started  in  March  2012, 
following the approval of EU negotiating mandates in December 2011.  

In  2011,  the  EaP  took  a  clear  commitment  to  strengthen  cooperation  in  the  area  of 
JFS. In September, the Commission put forward concrete proposals aiming at further 
enhancing the level of political and operational cooperation towards establishment of 
a  Common  Justice  and  Home  Affairs  (JHA)  Space  between  the  EU  and  its  Eastern 
partners.  For  Ukraine  and  the  Republic  of  Moldova  in  particular,  the  Visa 
Liberalisation Action Plans proved to be key incentives for pushing forward reform in 
the JFS area. 

The  reform  of  the  judiciary  and  fight  against  corruption  in  the  EaP  countries 
continued  to  be  major  concerns.  Progress  was  registered  on  migration,  but 
establishment of modern and effective systems for asylum and international protection 
are  still  to  be  addressed  in  most  EaP  countries.  Assessments  of  data  protection 
legislation  were  launched  for  the  Republic  of  Moldova  and  Ukraine,  which  are 
currently negotiating cooperation agreements with Europol and Eurojust. 

Renewed attention was given to the anti-drugs policy, and new drugs dialogues were 
started in October with the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. 
Cooperation  with  the  European  Monitoring  Centre  for  Drugs  and  Drug  Addiction 
progressed and all EaP partners took part in the September 2011 Kiev TAIEX seminar 
on  evidence-based  drug  policies  and  data  collection  on  treatment  and  drug-related 
infectious  diseases.  In  order  to  enhance  regional  police  cooperation,  preparations 
in  early  2012. 
began 

the  EuroEast  Police  project 

launch  of 

the 

for 

6

 
 
 
 
(cid:190) 

Mobility Partnerships 

Mobility  Partnerships  (MP)  are  an  innovative  and  comprehensive  way  to  foster 
cooperation  on  migration  and  mobility  issues,  including  legal  migration,  the  fight 
against irregular migration, international protection, and migration and development.  
Three  of  the  four  MPs  signed  so  far  concern  the  EaP  region  (Republic  of  Moldova, 
Georgia and Armenia).  

(cid:190) 

Action Plans on Visa Liberalisation 

Visa  dialogues  with  Ukraine  and  the  Republic  of  Moldova  advanced  substantially  in 
2011, based of the Action Plans on Visa Liberalisation presented to the two countries 
in  November  2010  and  January  2011  respectively.  Reports  on  progress  made  by 
Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova on implementation of the Action Plans, issued 
by  the  Commission  services  and  the  EEAS  in  September  2011  and  February  2012 
confirmed  that  the  Action  Plans  are  powerful  tools  for  advancing  reforms  in  partner 
countries in the area of JFS. An expert mission to Georgia, which took place in March 
2012, assessed Georgia’s readiness to start a visa liberalisation dialogue with the EU.  

(cid:190) 

Application of the Visa Code 

Since April 2011, Schengen countries are obliged, under the EU Visa Code, to give 
reasons for a visa refusal and to offer the possibility of an appeal.  In 2011, particular 
attention  was  paid  to  establishing  effective  local  Schengen  cooperation  between 
Schengen consular services in the EaP partner countries. 

2.4. 

Comprehensive Institution Building Programmes 

In  addition  to  and  complementing  the  ongoing  implementation  of  assistance 
programmes  -  which  include  important  institution  building  components  -  work 
launch  of 
continued  with  five  EaP  partners  (all  except  Belarus)  on 
Comprehensive  Institution  Building  Programmes  (CIB).  With  a  total  budget  of 
€167.4 million, CIB are specifically intended to  help partner countries meet the pre-
conditions  for  negotiating  and  concluding  AAs  and  DCFTAs,  and  their  related 
commitments. 

the 

Technical  assistance  has  been  provided  to  help  all  partners  develop  the  institutional 
reform  plans  for  the  targeted  institutions.  At  the  beginning  of  2012,  most  countries 
have  finalised  the  reform  plans;  many  of  them  have  been  formally  adopted,  thus 
paving the way for the CIB implementation phase. 

3. 

PARTICIPATION  IN  EU  PROGRAMMES  AND  AGENCIES  AND  SECTOR  CO-
OPERATION 

3.1. 

Participation of partner countries in EU programmes and Agencies  

To  help  making  further  progress  with  regard  to  EaP  countries’  participation  in  the 
work of EU agencies and programmes, EaP countries were invited in 2011 to express 
their specific priorities and interests. On this basis, a first indicative list of priority EU 
programmes for participation of partner countries was established. 

7

 
 
Protocols  allowing  for  the  participation  of  the  Republic  of  Moldova  and  Ukraine  in 
EU  programmes  entered  into  force  in  May  and  November  2011  respectively. 
Following  signature  of  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding,  the  Republic  of  Moldova 
was  associated  to  the  7th  Framework  Programme  for  Research  and  Technological 
Development (FP 7) from January 2012. Protocols with further EaP countries can be 
negotiated,  based  on  mutual  agreement.  Cooperation  between  EU  agencies  and  EaP 
countries continued in 2011, notably in the areas of justice and home affairs, aviation 
safety  (European  Aviation  Safety  Agency)  and  health  (European  Centre  for  Disease 
Prevention and Control). Efforts were also made to strengthen cooperation with other 
agencies in the area of justice, freedom and security. 

The  EU  is  also  preparing  an  assistance  project  to  support  preparatory  measures 
facilitating cooperation between the EU agencies and the EaP countries. Possible co-
funding  of  participation  in  EU  programmes  can  be  granted  under  the  national 
allocations of the ENPI.    

3.2. 

Energy and Transport 

Energy Community/Integrating energy markets  

With a view to enhancing common energy security, Eastern partners are committed to 
gradually  integrating  with  EU  energy  markets,  in  particular  through  approximating 
with EU internal energy market rules and strengthening network interconnections.  

Involvement  in  the  Energy  Community  strongly  supports  such  integration.  In 
February  2011  Ukraine  became  a  member  of  this  Community;  it  now  needs  to 
implement fully the Energy Community Treaty obligations. In 2011, the Republic of 
Moldova  held  the  Community’s  rotating  Presidency  and  took  steps  to  implement 
Treaty  obligations.  Georgia  continued  its  observership  and  Armenia  became  an 
observer. Azerbaijan and the EU strengthened their energy partnership, including on 
the strategic Southern Corridor and continued the dialogue on approximation with the 
EU internal energy market rules. The EU and Belarus discussed market integration in 
the course of their technical energy dialogue.  

Several  energy  network  projects  advanced  in  2011.  On  the  Southern  Corridor, 
Azerbaijan  and  Turkey  agreed  transit  and  gas  sale  terms  on  the  Azerbaijani  Shah 
Deniz II field. The EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan started negotiations on a trans-
Caspian  gas  pipeline.  A  feasibility  study  was  launched  on  the  Azerbaijan-Georgia-
Romania  Interconnection  project,  aiming  to  export  liquefied  natural  gas  through  the 
Black Sea. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine furthered their work 
towards  a  Euro-Asian  Oil  Transportation  Corridor.  Azerbaijan,  Georgia  and  Turkey 
continued  developing  the  Black  Sea  Electricity  Transmission  line.  Ukraine  and  the 
Republic of Moldova pursued their efforts on future interconnection of their electricity 
networks to the continental European power system. Following up the 2009 EU-Ukraine 
conference  on  modernisation  of  the  Ukrainian  gas  transit  system,  the  EU-supported 
feasibility study and environmental and social impact study progressed.   

The  EU  is  giving  a  particular  attention  to  strengthening  transport  cooperation  with 
the EaP countries. Transport Ministers of the EU and the partner countries set out key 
priorities for cooperation in a Joint Declaration on transport cooperation between the 

8

 
 
EU  and  EaP  countries.  To  oversee  transport  cooperation  and  to  streamline  the 
implementation  of  regional  transport  cooperation,  the  ministers  established  the  EaP 
Transport  Panel  in  October  2011.  In  the  aviation  sector,  comprehensive  air  services 
agreement  was  initialled  with  the  Republic  of  Moldova  in  October  2011  and  is 
expected  to  be  signed  soon.  In  October,  the  EU  Member  States  granted  the 
Commission  a  mandate  to  negotiate  a  similar  agreement  with  Azerbaijan  and 
negotiations  should  start  in  the  first  half  of  2012.  Economic  impact  of  concluding 
such  an  agreement  with  Armenia  has  been  examined.  The  EU  and  Georgia  have 
already signed a comprehensive air services agreement in 2010. The agreements aim 
to  open  the  respective  markets  and  integrate  the  partner  countries  into  a  wider 
European  common  aviation  area.  Partner  countries  will  harmonise  their  legislation 
with  the  EU  standards  and  implement  EU  aviation  rules.  A  draft  agreement  with 
Ukraine remains under negotiations.  

3.3. 

Environment and Climate Change 

3.3.1.  Environment 

Progress towards a green economy is a key objective within the EaP. In 2011, the EU 
assisted  partners  identify  relevant  measures.  A  dedicated  study  and  a  seminar  were 
organised.  An  EU-financed  study  was  also  published  to  highlight  the  social,  health 
and economic benefits of enhanced environment protection in partner countries. 

The  Shared  Environmental  Information  System  is  being  developed  to  improve 
collection  and  management  of  environmental  data  and  indicators.  EaP  countries 
adopted  (Belarus  and  Ukraine)  or  prepared  (Armenia,  Azerbaijan,  Georgia  and  the 
Republic of Moldova) national environmental action plans or strategies. The Republic 
of  Moldova  published  a  state-of-the-environment  report  and  Ukraine  adopted 
legislation on access to information. Administrative capacity remains a challenge and 
environmental impact assessments require attention. 

An  EU-financed  project  on  air  quality  governance  was  launched,  and  several  other 
projects advanced, for example on waste management and forest law enforcement and 
governance.  The  EU  also  allocated  funding  to  tackle  obsolete  pesticides.  The 
Regional  Environmental  Centres  in  the  Republic  of  Moldova  and  in  Southern 
Caucasus  continued 
ratified  multilateral 
environment agreements requires attention. 

Implementation  of 

their  activities. 

3.3.2.  Climate change 

The  EaP  Warsaw  Summit  recognised  the  importance  of  taking  action  to  address 
climate  change,  promoting  relevant  dialogue  and  sharing  best  practices.  The  EU 
allocated  €18  million  for  a  regional  project  on  climate  change  mitigation  and 
adaptation. 

Action taken by EaP partners in 2011 includes submission by Azerbaijan of its second 
national  communication  to  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate 
Change  (UNFCCC), preparation  of  mitigation  and  adaptation  strategies  by  the 
Republic  of  Moldova,  organisation  of  its  third  climate  week  by  Georgia,  and 
preparation by Ukraine of legislation on emissions trading.  

9

 
 
Eastern  partners  are  encouraged  to  build  capacity  and engage  in  the  new  carbon 
market  mechanism  to  be  developed  following  the  17th  Conference  of  the  Parties 
(COP) of the UNFCCC in Durban. They are also encouraged to fully implement the 
agreements  on  climate  action  reached  at  the  Cancun  and  Durban  COPs  and  in 
particular to device low-carbon development strategies. 

3.4. 

Pilot regional development programmes (PRDPs)  

After  a  meeting  with  partner  countries  representatives  in  Brussels  in  June  to  further 
explain  and  clarify  the  PRDP  approach,  the  partner  countries  were  invited  to  share 
their regional development strategies with the EU. Some of these, such as the strategy 
for  the  Republic  of  Moldova,  provide  a  good  basis  for  developing  PRDPs.  Other 
countries still have to work on their strategies. The cohesion dimension, i.e reducing 
social  and  economic  disparities  between  regions,  which  is  the  cornerstone  of  the 
PRDPs,  was  not  always  properly  addressed  in  the  documents  presented  and 
discussions are still on-going with the partner countries.  

In  addition,  given  the  large  budget  support  programmes  for  regional  development 
which are currently on-going in Ukraine and Georgia, it was necessary to better define 
the specificity and added-value of the PRDPs. In the framework of these programmes, 
complementary  specific  activities  will  be  identified,  to  be  financed  through  the 
additional PRDP funds. 

  European  Neighbourhood  Programme  for  Agriculture  and  Rural 

3.5. 
Development (ENPARD)    

In  order  to  take  forward  ENPARD  in  the  Eastern  Neighbourhood,  the  European 
Commission  has  started  negotiations  with  FAO  in  order  to  launch  an  assessment  of 
the agriculture and rural development sectors in partner countries. The study is aimed 
at supporting Eastern European partners in the review of their agriculture policies and 
strategies and identify with them possible areas of possible future support. In Georgia, 
a large programme to support the agriculture sector, already in line with the ENPARD 
approach, is being finalized in close cooperation with the Commission.      

3.6 

    Common Knowledge and Information Space  

The  development  of  a  Common  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Space  with  the  EaP 
Partners  necessitates  cooperation  of  research,  coordination  and  networking  between 
stakeholders  and  will  require  increased  efforts  from  all  EaP  countries  in  building 
research  capacity  and  increasing  collaboration  with  EU  researchers  and  research 
organisation.  An  important  element  of  reaching  this  objective  is  the  current  active 
participation of partners in the EU’s FP 7. FP 7 is fully open for the participation of 
researchers and research organisations in the EaP countries. However, current levels 
of participation are moderate and increased efforts are needed in all EaP countries to 
promote  actively  the  opportunities  available  to  their  research  communities.  Specific 
support in this regard has been provided through the FP 7 International Cooperation 
(INCO) programme, which has offered opportunities to build research capacities and 
to promote Science and Technology (S&T) relations and the coordination of national 
research  activities  and  the  international  cooperation  activities  of  the  EU  Member 

10

 
 
 
 
States  with  the  region.  Current  projects  include:  the  International  Cooperation 
Network  for  Central  Asian  and  South  Caucasus  countries,  the  S&T  International 
Cooperation  Network  for  Eastern  European  and  Central  Asian  Countries  and  the 
European  Research  Area  Network  (ERANET)  project  Black  Sea-ERA.NET  on 
Networking on Science and Technology in the Black Sea Region.  

4. 

STRENGTHENING OF MULTILATERAL CO-OPERATION 

1 

In  2011,  each  of  the  four  EaP  multilateral  thematic  platforms  met  twice.  They 
continued  to  implement  their  work  programmes  and  prepared  new  ones  for  2012  – 
2013. The platforms have established several new expert panels and provided input to 
the  design  of  the  flagship  initiatives.  Partners,  EU  Member  States,  EU  institutions, 
international  organisations  and  the  EaP  Civil  Society  Forum  (CSF)  have  actively 
contributed  and  offered  support  and  expertise  to  seminars  and  training  programmes. 
Assistance  from  international  organisations  and  international  financing  institutions 
(IFIs)  has  also  been  provided  through  different  channels.  During  the  Polish 
Presidency  of  the  EU  in  the  second  half  of  the  year,  Poland  hosted  a  significant 
number of sector meetings at ministerial level with partner countries.   

4.1. 

Platform 1 - Democracy, good governance and stability 

Platform 1 aims to promote democratic principles, good governance and stability by 
improving  key  sectors  of  governance.  Its  2009-11  work  programme  focused  on 
improving  the  functioning  of  the  judiciary,  the  fight  against  corruption,  public 
administration reform and safe management of state borders. The implementation of 
the  activities  of  the  Platform  is  supported  by  the  Council  of  Europe  (CoE)  under  a 
CoE  facility  agreed  for  that  purpose.  Implementation  of  activities  started  in  March 
2011.  The  facility  covers  activities  on  electoral  standards,  judicial  reform,  good 
governance, the fight against corruption and cooperation against cybercrime. 

In the field of integrated border management (IBM), the EaP IBM panel met twice in 
2011,  in  Vilnius  and  Tbilisi.  The  meetings  took  stock  of  implementation  of  the 
flagship initiative and discussed IBM strategies, the fight against smuggling of goods, 
especially  cigarettes,  green  border  surveillance  and  early-warning  mechanisms.  The 
Commission’s  Action  Plan  to  fight  against  the  smuggling  of  cigarettes  and  alcohol 
along the EU Eastern Border2 was presented to the participants. 

The  EuroEast  Police  project  on  cooperation  between  law  enforcement  agencies 
against cross-border crime between the EU and the EaP countries advanced through 
its  identification  phase  with  a  view  to  the  Commission  decision  due  in  2012  in  line 
with  the  Council  conclusions  of  13  December  2011  on  cooperation  in  the  areas  of 
justice and home affairs within the Eastern Partnership.  

The panel on the fight against corruption reviewed the situation in partner countries 
with  technical  assistance  from  the  CoE.  The  panel’s  work  plan  was  approved  in 
Tbilisi in May 2011 at the same time as launching a number of regional seminars and 

1. Belarus participates in the multilateral track of the EaP.  
2. SEC(2011)791 

11

 
 
                                                 
initiatives  implemented  by  CoE.  Good  expert  cooperation  has  been  established  with 
the EaP Civil Society Forum.  

Platform 1 continued preparing the work plan of the panel on improving the judiciary 
in  order  to  reinforce  the  bilateral  work  undertaken  to  secure  greater  judicial 
independence,  effectiveness  and  impartiality  of  justice.  Meanwhile,  the  CoE  has 
continued implementing the justice component of the CoE facility.   

The first panel on public administration reform met in Tallinn in October and agreed 
its  three-year  work  programme.  The  work  has  already  been  started  by  thematic 
seminars  and  workshops  on  e-government  and  efficient  local  and  regional  level 
administrations held in 2011 in Tallinn and Kharkov respectively. 

Bringing  the  Söderköping  process  under  the  aegis  of  the  EaP  in  2011  enhanced  the 
dialogue  and  cooperation  on  the  broader  migration  agenda.  The  new  EaP  panel  on 
migration  and  asylum  will  help  to  strengthen  asylum  and  migration  systems  of 
Eastern  partners  and  advance  the  dialogue  on  migration  and  asylum  issues  amongst 
the Eastern partners and between them and the EU. The first meeting of this panel was 
held in Stockholm in December 2011. 

4.2. 

Platform  2  -  Economic  integration  and  convergence  with  EU  sector 
policies 

A. Areas of Work covered by the platform 

Fifth platform meeting (May 2011) 

The  platform  followed  up  the  discussion  on  labour  market  and  social  policies  and 
discussed cooperation on questions of fiscal, exchange rate and monetary policy along 
with regional economic cooperation 

Sixth platform meeting on (October 2011) 

The platform focused on its new work programme 2012-2013, cooperation in the field 
of labour market and social policies and cooperation on transport. 

B. Areas of work covered by panels  

1. Trade and Trade Related Regulatory Cooperation linked to DCFTAs 

The negotiations on DCFTAs between the EU and its Eastern partners aim, inter alia, 
to increase access to each other’s markets in order to provide exporters with a better 
opportunity to expand their presence on foreign markets.    

Five trade panels were organised in 2011 in Brussels (February, March, June, October 
and December). They discussed: 

-  Technical  regulations  and  standards,  providing  an  overview  of  the  EU 
legislative framework for marketing products;  

-  DCFTAs  and  the  involvement  of  Chambers  of  Commerce  in  interaction  with 
governments  plus  their  support  to  the  member  companies  to  benefit  from  the 
DCFTAs;  

12

 
 
- Competition policy, presenting an overview of the acquis communautaire in the 
trade-related fields;  

- Services, investments and capital movement and 

- Trade in goods.  

2. Environment and Climate Change 

A  seminar  on  promotion  of  the  green  economy  was  held  in  Brussels  in  July.  As 
background,  the  EU  commissioned  a  study  on  Opportunities  and  options  for 
promoting  green  economy  in  the  EaP  countries.  The  seminar  discussed  its  results, 
presented  views  on  greening  the  economy  and  made  recommendations  for  future 
action, including with possible EU finance. The second panel on the environment and 
climate  change  took  place  in  Brussels  in  September  and  established  a  flagship 
initiative to set up a Shared Environmental Information System in the ENP East area.  

3. Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) policy 

A seminar with the SME coordinators of the six EaP partners was organised under the 
auspices of the SME panel in Brussels in March, co-chaired by the EU and the OECD. 
The  purpose  was  to  familiarise  the  SME  coordinators  with  various  aspects  of  the 
Small Business Act that will be covered within the EaP project on Enterprise Policy 
Assessment conducted by the EU, the OECD, the EBRD and the European Training 
Foundation. Preliminary results were discussed at the SME panel meeting in June in 
Prague, which focused on Enterprise and Competitiveness Policies and was organised 
back  to  back  with  an  OECD  ministerial  meeting  on  Enterprise  and  Competitiveness 
Policies  for  Eastern  Europe  and  the  South  Caucasus  countries.  In  June,  a  combined 
OECD/EU working group was opened by a first round table on the results of the self-
assessments  of  the  partner  countries  regarding  the  EaP  project  on  Enterprise  Policy 
Assessment.  The  SME  panel  meeting  focussed  on  access 
to  finance  and 
responsiveness of the administration to the problems of the SMEs (Think Small First). 
The  Commission  informed  participants  on  the  state  of  play  with  the  SME  flagship 
initiative.  

4. Transport 

The transport panel was established by Transport Ministers of EU Member States and 
of  the  Eastern  Partnership  countries  in  October  2011  with  the  task  of  following  up 
actions  set  out  in  the  Commission  Communication  'The  EU  and  its  neighbouring 
regions:  A  renewed  approach  to  transport  cooperation'3.  The  first  transport  panel 
meeting  was  organised  in  October  and  discussed  both  policy  reforms  and 
infrastructure connections.  

3 COM(415) 7.7.2011 

13

 
 
                                                 
C. Conferences, seminars and other activities  

1. Labour market and social policies 

The Commission awarded the contract for a study on the Costs and benefits of labour 
mobility between the EU and the Eastern Partnership partner countries.  

2. Cooperation in the field of transport 

In  2011,  the  EU  and  the  partner  countries  took  several  steps  to  strengthen  transport 
cooperation under the EaP initiative. The Commission organised a transport seminar 
in  March  to  consult  the  EU  Member  States  the  partner  countries  and  IFIs  on  key 
issues of cooperation.  

3. Cooperation in the field of statistics 

Following a seminar on quality in statistics in June, the national statistical offices of 
the  ENP-East  countries  undertook  to  start  developing  a  comprehensive  quality 
assurance framework to improve the quality of their statistics in key domains and to 
review progress in this matter in one year’s time.  

In  addition,  in  October,  a  Polish  Presidency  conference  on  the  Development  of  the 
European  Statistical  System  within  Eastern  Partnership  –  directions  and  strategy, 
identified three areas where work is needed in order to help the statistical systems in 
the region reach European standards.  

4.3. 

Platform 3 - Energy security 

A. Areas of work covered by the platform 

Fifth platform meeting (April 2011 in Brussels) 

The meeting took place as part of the Sustainable Energy Week and was devoted to 
energy  efficiency.  Partners  presented  developments  and  projects  supporting  energy 
efficiency.  Specific  attention  was  paid  to  the  Covenant  of  Mayors4,  including 
presentations by Tbilisi, Lviv and Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal). 

Sixth platform meeting (October in Chisinau) 

The  meeting  was  held  back  to  back  with  the  Ministerial  Council  of  the  Energy 
Community. It was the first meeting of a platform in a partner country. The meeting 
focussed on energy developments in the Republic of Moldova, recent EU and EBRD 
initiatives  and  assistance  to  partner  countries,  in  particular  within  the  INOGATE 
energy  cooperation  programme.  The  work  programme  of  the  Platform  for  2012-13 
was  discussed.  Partner  countries 
their  security  of  supply 
developments.  The  participants  agreed  that  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  and  the 
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) become permanent participants of 
this platform. 

informed  about 

4 The Covenant of Mayors, involving regional and local authorities from the EU and beyond, aims to 
meet and exceed the European Union 20% CO2 reduction objective by 2020. 

14

 
 
 
 
                                                 
B. Conferences, seminars and other activities  

In 2011, platform 3 meetings were organised back to back with other energy events to 
which  partners  were  invited.  For  example,  participants  of  the  platform  attended 
numerous  seminars  organised  by  the  Commission  during  the  Sustainable  Energy 
Week (April), where EU initiatives on improving energy efficiency and increasing use 
of renewables in the energy mix were presented. In October, platform 3 participants 
attended  a  Social  Forum  organised  by  the  Energy  Community.  A  joint  meeting 
between platform 3 and the Permanent High-Level Group of the Energy Community 
was also held.  

Conference on energy security 

The conference was organised by the EESC with support of Hungarian Presidency, in 
Hungary in April.  

4.4. 

Platform 4 - Contacts between people 

Platform 4 supports interaction between EU and partner countries’ citizens, focusing 
in particular on students, teachers, researchers, young people and cultural workers. It 
also supports development of the information society in the partner countries. In 2011, 
cooperation  under  this  platform  continued  to  be  organised  around  a  number  of  EU 
cooperation  programmes,  in  the  areas  of  higher  education,  youth,  culture  and 
research.  Attention  was  paid  to  modernisation  of  higher  education,  to  mobility  of 
students,  teachers,  researchers  and  young  people  and  to  capacity-building  and 
exchange  of  experience  in  cultural  circles.  A  large  regional  Tempus  and  Erasmus 
Mundus information day was organised in December in Ukraine. A high level event 
on the mobility of students, academic staff, researchers, youth and cultural workers to 
and  from  the  EaP  countries  called  ‘the  Eastern  dimension  of  mobility’  took  place  in 
Warsaw in June. 

EaP countries have expressed their interest in participating in the partial extension of the 
eTwinning  programme  for  schools.  The  Commission  has  entered  into  the  negotiation 
phase which should lead to the setting-up of Partner Support Agencies. Alongside this 
preparatory work, the Central Support Service of the eTwinning programme will create 
a new web portal for EaP school users.  

The results of a study on teacher education in the EaP countries were discussed with 
Ministries  of  Education  and  teacher  training  institutions  during  a  seminar  held  in 
Baku in October.  

The  EaP Culture Programme supports the development of local cultural policies. It 
involves  capacity-building  in  institutions,  monitoring,  coaching  and  coordination  of 
projects,  and  collection  and  dissemination  of  results.  As  a  follow-up  to  the  enlarged 
Cultural Contact Points meeting of March 2010, a regional seminar was held in Georgia 
in April 2011. It discussed how to make best use of the capacity-building component of 
the EaP Culture Programme and how to raise the profile of culture in a broader context. 
A  regional  Monitoring  and  Capacity-building  Unit  opened  in  Kiev  in  October.  In  the 
same month, the technical assistance team also started up round table discussions in each 
partner country. Under the published call for proposals, 15 grant contracts were signed 
in December.  

15

 
 
 
An expert round table for stakeholders in the new EaP Youth Programme from the EaP 
partner  countries  was  held  in  the  Republic  of  Moldova  in  May  to  finalise 
identification  of  needs.  The  results  of  this  round  table  fed  into  the  EaP  Youth 
Programme, with a total budget of €5.5 million which was approved in November. It 
will be composed of two complementary actions: the EaP Youth Programme that will 
mainly focus on the capacity-building of youth institutions in the region, and the grant 
component that will support concrete projects through a special window in the Youth 
Action Programme.  

Work  on  the  Information  Society  focused  on  mapping  of  information  and 
communication  technology  (ICT)  stakeholders,  identifying  research  potential  and 
priorities, organising training and assistance and enhancing the ICT policy dialogue. 
Cooperation between telecommunications regulators continued at workshops in June 
in  Lithuania  and  in  November  in  Spain.  Work  continued  on  improving  high-speed 
connectivity with partner countries under the Black Sea interconnectivity initiative. 

In the field of research and innovation, all Eastern partners continued to participate in 
the  FP  7.  Participation by  researchers and research organisations in FP 7 continued to 
increase, notably in the Marie Curie international research staff exchange scheme and in 
the second European Research Area-wide call; both of which are targeted (in part) to the 
EaP  region.  Following  the  conclusion  of  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoU) 
with the EU, the Republic of Moldova is now formally associated with FP 7. Support 
from the EaP continued to provide an opportunity to increase networking with national 
contact  points  from  the  MS  and  the  countries  associated  with  FP  7.  Thanks  to  this 
support,  the  legal  and  financial  contacts  for  FP  7  in  the  EaP  countries  attended  two 
training sessions in Brussels. Armenia, Belarus, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine 
appointed legal and financial contacts for FP 7; Azerbaijan and Georgia are encouraged 
to do so. 

4.5. 

EaP flagship initiatives   

The  Integrated  Border  Management  (IBM)  flagship  initiative  continued  its 
activities in 2011. Its general aim is to improve security, reduce smuggling and human 
trafficking,  and  to  facilitate  mobility  of  people.  Other  aims  are  to  help  partner 
countries  to  develop  integrated  border  management  strategies  and  align  their  border 
management rules with EU standards.  

Exchanges of best practices are taking place in a dedicated panel on IBM. Moreover, 
the IBM flagship initiative training project – with a budget of €2 million – is focusing 
on training and capacity-building of partners’ border authorities. Several regional and 
national activities with the participation of representatives of the customs and border 
guard  services  of  the  EaP  countries  were  carried  out  in  the  following  areas:  support 
for  implementation  of  border  management  and  action  plans;  document  integrity  and 
security; detection of drugs and smuggled products; protection of intellectual property 
rights; and anti-corruption. 

A series of training sessions for representatives of customs and border guard services 
were  also  held  as  part  of  the  project  (295  members  of  staff  of  the  beneficiary 
institutions have been trained). 

16

 
 
 
In addition, a survey has been  launched  to  assess  the  achievements  of  the  EaP  IBM 
Flagship  Initiative  Training  (and  other  pilot  projects).  It  is  intended  to  collect  the 
views and experiences of civil society representatives who are especially involved in 
cross-border  movements  of  persons  and  goods,  such  as  business  associations,  travel 
agencies  and  non-governmental  organisations.  The  first  results  were  expected  in 
March 2012. Finally, the first pilot projects to enhance selected border crossing points 
between  EaP  countries  were  approved.  These  projects  concern  the  Belarus-Ukraine 
border (Strengthening surveillance capacity on the green and blue border between the 
Republic  of  Belarus  and  Ukraine  -  €2.6  m illion)  and  the  Georgia-Armenia  border 
(Enhancement  of  the  border  management  capabilities  at  the  Ninotsminda-Bavra 
border  crossing  point  –  €2.9  million).  Thes e  projects  will  provide  expertise, 
equipment and infrastructure. 

The Prevention, Preparedness and Response to natural and man-made Disasters 
flagship initiative (PPRD-East) is building up the capacity of participating countries 
for  disaster  prevention,  preparedness  and  response  at  local,  national  and  regional 
levels,  and  promoting  cooperation  with  the  EU  and  between  the  EaP  countries.  The 
first  phase,  already  being  implemented  with  a  budget  of  €6  m illion,  is  reviewing 
existing  resources  and  mechanisms  available  in  the  EaP  countries  and  preparing  a 
regional risk atlas.  

The Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) flagship initiative was set up to 
support the needs of SMEs in the EaP countries and to provide an external stimulus to 
growth  and  employment,  with  a  total  budget  of  around  €34  million.  It  supports 
initiatives to improve the business climate, extend the advisory services to SMEs and 
establish an SME funding facility. The flagship initiative includes three components: 

1.  East-Invest,  an  investment  and  trade  facilitation  project  (with  a  budget  of 
approx.  €9  million)  which  provides  tech nical  assistance  to  business  support 
organisations  and  SMEs  from  the  EaP  countries.  In  July  around  40 
representatives  of  business  organisations  from  the  EaP  countries  participated 
in  the  East-Invest  Academy  (Irpen,  Ukraine).  Two  ‘Train  the  trainers’ 
seminars  were  organised  in  spring  in  Minsk  and  Chisinau  on  EU  acquis  and 
internationalisation for 15 representatives of business organisations. Following 
these  trainings,  the  trained  trainers  have  given,  together  with  international 
trainers, four seminars on the same topic. More than 200 SMEs benefited from 
such trainings on EU acquis and internationalisation across the region.  

to  support  sustainable  development  of 

2.  Enterprise Growth Programme (EGP) and Business Advisory Services (BAS) 
(both  small  business  programmes)  are  technical  assistance  programmes, 
implemented  by  the  European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development 
(EBRD) and funded by the EU (€10 million for the period from 2010 to 2014). 
It  aims 
the 
Eastern partner countries  and  to  build  a  competitive  infrastructure  of  local 
advisory  services.  EGP  provides  transfer  of  commercial and  technical  know-
how  from  experienced  senior  managers  from  EU  SMEs  and  BAS  promotes 
involvement with local consulting services  while  supporting consolidation  of 
local  consultancy.  Concrete  examples  in  2011  included:  development  of 
streamline  organisational  structure  and  strategy,  development  of  Human 
Resources  policy,  new  sales  and  marketing  strategy,  development  of 

the  SMEs in 

17

 
 
management  information  system,  development  of  computerised  financial 
management etc.  

3.  In 2011, 17 EGP projects have started (with duration of approximately 1 to 1.5 
years) and  156  BAS  projects  (shorter  projects  of  approximately  4  to  6 
months),  out  of  which  79  BAS  projects  have  already  been  completed  in  the 
entire region.  

SMEs Funding Facility Project, with a budget of  €15 million provided by the 
EU  as  risk-sharing  cushion  to  leverage  loans  for  SMEs  from  European 
financial  institutions  through  the  intermediary  of  local  financial  institutions. 
Several  loans  have  been  signed  to  date  with  local  banks  for  on-lending  to 
SMEs, such as: TBC Bank, ProCredit Bank, VneshtorgBank and the Bank of 
Georgia, BT Leasing in the Republic of Moldova, Ukrexim in Ukraine, etc.  

The  Regional  Electricity  Markets,  Energy  Efficiency  and  Renewable  Energy 
Sources flagship initiative is focusing on improving integration of the electricity grid 
and encouraging sustainable energy as ways to address security of energy supply. 

This  flagship  imitative  is  supported,  inter  alia,  by  the  EU’s  regional  energy 
cooperation  programme  INOGATE.  In  2011,  INOGATE  provided  funding  of 
approximately  €53  million  for  projects  to  support  development  of  regional  energy 
markets, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.  

Another key activity under this flagship initiative is the Covenant of Mayors, (CoM), 
which  is  being  extended  beyond  the  EU.  Over  40  cities  from  the  EaP  region  have 
already  joined  the  CoM,  thereby  committing  themselves  to  reduce  their  CO2 
emissions  by  20%  by  2020.  Branch  offices  of  the  CoM  were  opened  in  Lviv  and 
Tbilisi in 2011. 

The  EaP  flagship  Initiative  on  Environmental  Governance  aims  at  promoting 
environment  protection  by  strengthening  environmental  governance  in  the  partner 
countries.  With  a  total  financial  envelope  of  around  €32  million,  these  programmes 
address  the  main  environmental  challenges  in  the  region,  ranging  from  waste 
management  to  water  and  quality,  including  forestry,  with  a  particular  focus  on 
improving management capacities on environmental information. Thanks to the active 
involvement  of  the  partner  countries,  opportunities  to  move  towards  a  greener 
economy have been identified and will be translated into a new regional programme. 
In addition, climate change adaptation and mitigation will be addressed by the Clima-
East package (€18 million). 

4.6. 

Relations with other stakeholders 

Euronest Parliamentary Assembly 

A Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (Euronest PA) was established at its constituent 
meeting  on  3  May  2011.  Its  main  goal  is  to  support  and  promote  the  EaP  and  to 
provide a platform for parliamentary debate, control and review of all issues relating 
to  the  EaP.  The  Euronest  PA  met  for  its  first  ordinary  session  in  Strasbourg  on  15 
September. 

18

 
 
Conference of Regional and Local Authorities of the EaP (CORLEAP) 

The  first  meeting  of  CORLEAP  took  place  on  8  September  2011  and  laid  the 
foundations  for  the  regional  dimension  of  the  Partnership.  It  aims  to  facilitate  local 
and regional authorities’ contribution to the development of the EaP. The Conference 
adopted recommendations for the EaP and called for the implementation of projects to 
enhance local democracy and good governance at regional and local levels. 

Civil Society Forum (CSF) 

The  CSF  continued  its  activities.  The  CSF  Steering  Committee  and  four  working 
groups  held  regular  meetings  bringing  together  civil  society  organisations  from  the 
EaP and the EU, including the EESC. The CSF has been engaged in cooperation with 
representatives  of  governments  by  participating  in  activities  of  the  EaP  panels. 
Moreover, in November representatives of the Forum were invited to participate in all 
EaP  Platforms  as  permanent  participants.  CSF  National  Platforms  have  been 
established  in  six  EaP  countries  and  were  consolidated  throughout  the  year.  In 
September  EU  Delegations  in  EaP  countries  organised  meetings  with  members  of 
national platforms with the participation of representatives of partners’ governments, 
laying  the  foundations  for  a  structured  dialogue.  (It  is  not  a  dialogue  between  civil 
society  and  government  –  it  is  a  dialogue  between  EU  and  civil  society  with 
participation  of  government  –  in  other  words  it  is  not  up  to  us  to  organise  dialogue 
between  civil  society  and  government  but  facilitate  and  encourage…)A  third 
assembly of the CSF took place in Poznan in November. It adopted a strategy for the 
future development of the Forum, providing a basis for more structured involvement 
of the CSF in the EaP. 

Business Forum 

The first EaP Business Forum took place in Sopot in September on the fringes of the 
the  business  community’s 
second  EaP  Summit.  The  Forum  presented 
recommendations  for  further  development  of  the  EaP’s  economic  aspects,  including 
special facilities to help SMEs develop in the EaP countries. 

Information & Coordination Group 

The  informal  Information  and  Coordination  Group  brings  together  donor  countries, 
regional  players  and  international  financing  institutions  met  for  the  second  time  in 
June 2011. The meeting focused on possible donor coordination in the area of SMEs.  

5. 

MINISTERIAL MEETING AND ROADMAP 

On  29-30  September  2011,  delegations  from  27  EU  member  states  and  EaP  partner 
countries met in Warsaw to discuss the future of the EaP and review its achievements 
since  it  was  launched.  The  Summit  was  an  opportunity  to  renew  the  political 
commitment  of  participating  countries  to  the  key  objectives  of  the  Partnership.  The 
Warsaw  meeting  concluded  with  the  adoption  of  a  joint  Declaration,  which  sent  a 
clear signal to the partners that the EU is willing to assist them and talk about their 
European  aspirations  and  forms  of  tighter  integration.  The  Summit  emphasized  the 
common  values  and  principles  of  liberty,  democracy,  respect  for  human  rights, 

19

 
 
fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. It acknowledged the European aspirations 
and the European choice of some Eastern European countries. 

Because the EaP Summit was held late in the year, the EU MS and Partner countries 
agreed that the anticipated Ministerial Meeting should take place in June 2012. 

The  Warsaw  Declaration  included  a  call  to  prepare  a  Roadmap  for  the  EaP  which 
would  list  the  objectives,  instruments  and  actions  for  the  Partnership  and  guide  and 
monitor their implementation until the next Summit in the second half of 2013.  The 
roadmap should set out clearly and concisely the jointly agreed objectives of the EaP 
stemming  from  the  Prague  and  Warsaw  Declarations,  the  reforms  the  partner 
countries  aim  to  adopt  in  order  to  meet  their  objectives,  the  instruments  and  the 
support  that  the  EU  will  provide  and,  finally,  an  indication  of  how  advanced  the 
Partner states will be towards achieving these objectives by the second half of 2013.   

20

 
 
1. 

Summary 

of 

the 

Comprehensive 

Institution-Building 

(CIB) 

Programme 

Indicative 
allocations 2011-
2013  
(€ million) 

CIB counterpart 

Armenia 

Azerbaijan 

Georgia 

Republic of Moldova 

Ukraine 

32.81 

19.20 

30.86 

41.16 

43.37 

Minister of Economic 
Affairs in dialogue with 
Minister for Foreign 
Affairs 

Minister for Foreign 
Affairs for political steer; 
Minister for Economic 
Development for IRPs 
and implementation 

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

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

National Agency of 
Ukraine on Civil Service 
(NACS) (new since July 
2011) 

1. Political 
association/economic 
integration (AA 
negotiations) 

1. AA negotiations and 
further deepening of 
bilateral economic and 
trade relations 

1. Coordination of AA 
negotiations 

1. Public administration 
reform 

1. Steering and 
implementation of AA and 
DCFTA 

Key reform areas 

2. Justice, freedom and 
security 

2. Justice and home 
affairs, including Visa 
Facilitation and 
Readmission Agreement 
(VFRA) 

2. Consolidation of 
democratic reforms, 
human rights and good 
governance 

(oversight institutions) 

2. Rule of law and respect 
for human rights and 
fundamental freedoms 

2. Trade: Sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures 
(SPS) 

21

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. DCFTA negotiations 

3. Strengthening human 
and institutional capacity 
related to negotiating and 
implementing the future 
agreements  

3. Trade, market and 
regulatory reform, DCFTA 
negotiations 

3. Preparations for future 
DCFTA  

3. Trade — state aid 
monitoring 

4. Migration  

Signature of 
MoU/framework 
document 

State of 
preparation of 
Institutional 
Reform Plans  
(IRPs) 

24/11/2010 

13/1/2011 

2/10/2010 

All three IRPs finalised 
and  adopted in 
December 2011 

- Cluster 1: draft IRP, to 
(expected 
be 
May 2012) 

finalised 

All IRPs (8) formally 
approved  

Cluster2: draft IRP, to be 
finalised (expected March 
2012) 

- Cluster 3: IRP 

22

15/5/2010 (MoU) 

26/11/2010 (FD) 

14 October 2010 

All IRPs finalised – one 
for each Ministry/Agency, 
called Strategic 
Development Programmes 
(SDP). Most of them (24 
out of 27) formally 
approved. 

Cluster  1:  IRP  in  the  area 
of policy making for future 
EU-Ukraine  Association 
Agreement is being revised 
by  the  MFA  following  the 
EU-Ukraine  Summit  on 
19/12  

Cluster  2:  IRP  on  SPS 
agreed  by  the  main  stake-
currently 
holders, 
undergoing 
legal 
expertise in the Ministry of 
Justice 

a 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
completed (formal 
approval expected April 
2012) 

Cluster  3:  IRP  on  state 
aid: 
until 
postponed 
adoption  of  the  law  on 
state aid 

Cluster 4: IRP has been 
formally adopted on 12 
October 2011 

CIB funding 

€ 6.8 million in 2011 
AAP; € 15 million 
earmarked in AAP 2012

€ 3 million in AAP 2011; 
€ 7.8 million earmarked 
in AAP 2012 

€ 7.345 million in AAP 
2011; € 11 million 
earmarked in AAP 2012 

€ 8 million in AAP 2011; € 
17 million earmarked in 
AAP 2012 

€ 20 million in AAP 2011; 
€  12  million  earmarked  in 
AAP 2012 

23

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cluster 1: Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs, 
Diplomatic Academy 

Cluster 2: Ministry for 
Foreign Affairs, State 
Migration Services, 
National Security 
Services, Police 

Institutions to be 
part of CIB 

Cluster 3: Min. of 
Economic Affairs and a 
number of 
implementing agencies 

Cluster  1:  Ministry  of 
Foreign  Affairs;  Ministry 
of 
Economic 
Development; Ministry of 
of 
Taxes;  Ministry 
State 
Agriculture; 
Customs 
Committee; 
State 
Procurement 
Agency; State Committee 
on 
Standardisation, 
Metrology  and  Patents; 
Copyright Agency 

Cluster  1:  Ministry  of 
Foreign  Affairs;  Ministry 
of  European  and  Euro-
Atlantic  Integration;  Prime 
Minister’s  office;  Civil 
Registry  Agency 
(under 
Ministry 
Justice); 
of 
"Matsne"  (legal  entity  on 
official 
of 
charge 
translations, 
under 
Ministry of Justice) 

1: 

State 
Cluster 
Chancellery;  Ministry  of 
Finance; 
Public 
Procurement Agency 

Cluster  2:  Ministry  of 
Internal Affairs; Centre for 
Combating 
Economic 
Crimes  and  Corruption; 
General 
Prosecutor’s 
Office 

Cluster  2:  Ministry  of 
Judicial  Legal 
Justice; 
of 
Council;  Ministry 
Interior;  Ministry 
of 
Foreign  Affairs;  Ministry 
of  Labour;  State  Border 
Service;  State  Migration 
Ombudsman; 
Service; 
against 
Commission 
Central 
Corruption; 
Election Commission 

Cluster 
Defender’s 
Chamber 
Parliament 

2: 

of 

Public 
Office; 
Control; 

and 

Cluster 
National 
3: 
Service  for  Food  Safety, 
Veterinary 
Plant 
National 
protection; 
Centre; 
Accreditation 
National  Agency 
for 
Technical 
Standards, 
and 
Regulations 
Metrology;  Competition 

Cluster  3:  Ministry  of 
Economy; 
National 
Agency  for  the  Protection 
State 
of  Competition; 
Intellectual 
Agency  on 
Property;  Ministry 
of 
Food 
Agriculture 
General 
Industry; 
for  Phyto-
Inspectorate 
Sanitary  Surveillance  and 
Seed  Control;  Sanitary-
and  Animal 
Veterinary 
Safety 
Food 
Origin 
Agency;  Public  Health 

and 

Cluster  1:  Secretariat  of 
of  Ministers; 
Cabinet 
of  Civil 
Main.  Dept 
of 
Service;  Ministry 
of 
Economy;  Ministry 
Finance;  Ministry 
of 
Justice 

Cluster  2:  Ministry  of 
Agrarian  Policy;  State 
Committees  for  Technical 
Regulation  for  Veterinary 
Medicine; 
National 
Commission 
for  Codex 
Alimentarius 

Cluster  3:  Antimonopoly 
Commission;  Ministry  of 
Finance 

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

24

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Authority 

Service  of  the  Ministry  of 
Health 

Guard Service 

Cluster 3: Civil Service 
Commission; Diplomatic 
Academy-  

25

 
 
 
Summary of the EaP Flagship Initiatives 

EaP flagship initiative 

Project name 

Total budget 

Funds committed by 
the end of 2011 

Comments 

Integrated Border 
Management (IBM) 

EaP 
IBM 
training project 

flagship 

initiative 

€2 million 

€2 million 

Implementation 
January 2011 

began 

in 

Commission 
programme 
supporting  IBM  systems  in  the 
South Caucasus 

€6.316.000  (the  EU 
contribution  amounts 
to EUR 6 million) 

€6 million 

Project  included  in  the  IBM 
flagship 
the 
initiative was created 

initiative  when 

Small and Medium-sized 
Enterprises (SME) 
Facility 

Pilot  projects  on  the  Belarus-
Ukraine  border  and  Georgia-
Armenia border 

EAST 
Partnership/SME Facility 

INVEST  —  Eastern 

€5.5 million  

€5.5 million  

€8.75 million 

€7 million 

SME  Finance  Facility  —  EIB 
window 

€15 million 

€15 million 

Further  pilot  projects  will  be 
funded in 2012 and 2013 

26

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TurnAround  Management  and 
Business  Advisory  Services 
(TAM-BAS)  Programme  in  the 
Eastern partner countries 

Enterprise  policy  performance 
assessment of the EaP countries 

Supporting participation by EaP 
and Central Asian cities in the 
CoM 

INOGATE Technical 
Secretariat and Integrated 
Programme to support the Baku 
Initiative and the EaP energy 
objectives 

€10 million 

€10 million 

€5 million  

€0.5 million   

€ 5 million 

€4  967 700 

€17 million  

€16  576 230  

Regional Electricity 
Markets, Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy Sources 
(objectives of the 
initiative are supported by 
the INOGATE 
Programme) 

In 2011 nine projects in the areas 
of energy market convergence, 
sustainable energy and security 
of energy supply were ongoing 
under the INOGATE  

Programme in the EaP region 
with a value of approximately 
EUR 36 million 

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

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

Environmental 
Governance 

Towards a Shared 
Environmental Information 
System – SEIS – in the ENPI 
region 

€11 million 

€5  988 000  

A second phase should be 
launched in 2013 

€13 million  

€3 million 

EUR 10 million will be added to 
support  this  flagship  initiative 
until 2013 

Projects worth a total 

27

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of €22 million are 
ongoing in support of 
the initiative (i.e. 
waste governance, air 
quality, FLEG 
(Forest Law 
Enforcement and 
Governance) and 
SEIS) 

28

 
 
Summary of the Eastern Partnership multilateral financing activities 

Project name 

Total budget 

Funds  committed  by  the 
end of 2011 

Comments 

EaP Culture Programme 

€12 million 

€12 m illion 

€3 million for reforms of public 
institutions and the cultural sector and €9 
million in grants to civil society cultural 
organisations 

Human Rights, Democracy and the 
Rule of Law ─ CoE Facility 

€4 million 

€4 million 

Implementation started in 2011  

EaP Youth Programme 

€5.5 million 

€5.5 million 

Support  for  stakeholders  in  the  youth 
sector  (€3  million)  and  grants  scheme 
(€2.5 million) 

EaP Territorial Cooperation Support 
Programme 

€18 million (€5.5 million 
for technical assistance 
contract in 2012 and €12.5 
million for projects in 2013 

€5.5 million for technical 
assistance 

The  budget  for 
committed in 2013 

the  projects  will  be 

29