JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Structured Consultation on the future of the Eastern Partnership Accompanying the document JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL,THE EUROPEAN AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020
Date: 2020-03-18
Institutions: European Commission, European External Action Service
Subjects: Eastern Partnership, civil society, climate change policy, cooperation policy, digitisation, environmental policy, international security, rule of law, sustainable development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 18.3.2020  SWD(2020) 56 final  JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  Structured Consultation on the future of the Eastern Partnership Accompanying the document JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL,THE EUROPEAN AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020 {JOIN(2020) 7 final}  
 
 
I. 

Introduction 

This  joint  staff  working  document  summarises  the  results  of  the  structured  consultation  on  the 
future of the Eastern Partnership. The  consultation was launched by then-Commission President 
Juncker at the high-level event in the context of the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership on 
14 May 2019.  

The European Council on 20 June 2019 endorsed the consultation: 

‘On  the  occasion  of  the  Eastern  Partnership’s  10th  anniversary,  the  European  Council 
reaffirms the importance of this strategic partnership and invites the Commission and the 
High  Representative  to  evaluate  existing  instruments  and  measures  and,  on  the  basis  of 
appropriate  consultations,  to  present  by  early  2020,  with  a  view  to  the  next  Eastern 
Partnership Summit, a further set of long-term policy objectives.’ 

This document outlines the  methodology of the structured consultation process (Section II) and 
its main outcomes (Section III).  

Lastly,  in  Section  IV  the  document  summarises  an  updated  assessment  of  progress  on 
implementing the ‘20 deliverables for 2020’1. The said document is included as an annex. 

II. 

The consultation methodology 

The consultation sought to answer five guiding questions:  

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 
5. 

How  can  we  sustainably  boost  economic  and  human  capital  development  and 
prosperity?  
How can we further strengthen  good governance, the rule of law and the security 
dimension of the Eastern Partnership?  
How  can  we  enhance  cooperation  between  eastern  partners,  while  ensuring 
inclusiveness and differentiation in their relations with the EU? 
How can we do more to enhance Eastern Partnership and EU visibility?  
Are  there  any  other  proposals  and  reflections  on  the  future  of  the  Eastern 
Partnership? 

In  response  to  the  consultation,  written  submissions  were  received  from  nearly  all  Member 
States,  all  six  partner  countries,  the  European  Parliament,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee,  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  the  European  Investment  Bank,  the  Eastern 
Partnership Civil Society Forum, international financial institutions, United Nations organisations, 
and  youth  stakeholders  through  the  Young  European  Ambassadors.  Joint  papers  endorsed  by 
several  Member  States  were  also  submitted  on  the  topics  of  resilience,  EaP  structures,  and 
youth. 

A total of 186 contributions were received through a dedicated web page. These came from: (i) 
public  authorities  (international  organisations,  EU  bodies,  local  and  regional  governments  and 
state  bodies);  (ii)  civil  society  organisations  (including  think  tanks,  academic  institutions,  civil 
society partners and business organisations); and (iii) individual citizens.  

Dedicated consultation events were organised in each of the partner countries and in several 
EU Member States, and meetings were held with international organisations and EU bodies, civil 

1 Joint Staff Working Document ‘Eastern Partnership – 20 Deliverables for 2020. Focusing on key priorities and 
tangible results (SWD(2017) 300 final). 

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society, social partner organisations (including trade unions and employer organisations), business 
representatives and think tanks. 

The  consultation  also  took  into  account  reports  from  bodies  in  the  current  Eastern 
Partnership architecture, including the four platforms and sectoral panels, and related meetings, 
including with Member State and partner country representations in Brussels  

III. Outcomes of the consultation 

The  consultation  confirmed  the  strong  benefits  brought  by  the  Eastern  Partnership 
framework. The Eastern Partnership’s work on a regional level strengthens and complements the 
bilateral work between the European Union and partner countries and facilitates the development 
of  common  positions  and  joint  activities.  It  provides  a  forum  for  policy  dialogue  and  sharing 
information  and  experience  among  partner  countries,  Member  States  and  EU  institutions,  the 
findings  of  which  feed  into  the  process  of  monitoring  and  assessing  progress  in  the 
implementation of reforms. 

There is broad consensus among stakeholders that the current policy framework is robust and 
delivering,  particularly  on  three  of  its  focus  areas,  namely  stronger  economy,  stronger 
connectivity, and stronger societies. There was also agreement that more remains to be done in the 
area of governance, rule of law, the fight against corruption and the role of an independent media 
and civil society. 

The  consultation  highlighted  the  clear  desire  of  stakeholders  and  citizens  to  tackle  jointly 
common  challenges  including  climate change,  digital  transformation, creating  an  economy  that 
works for all, investing in the continent’s young people, and security and resilience.  

There  is  agreement  that  delivering  concrete  results  for  citizens  in  Eastern  Partnership  countries 
and putting people first will remain the focus for the post-2020 agenda, building on the positive 
results achieved through the ‘20 deliverables for 2020’ framework. 

Key outcomes of the consultation are further elaborated below, following the responses to the five 
guiding questions.  

1.  How can we sustainably boost economic and human capital development and prosperity? 

Key responses: 

  An  inclusive  economy  that  works  for  all,  providing  decent  jobs,  is  a  top  priority  for 
most stakeholders. This includes more emphasis on local/regional actors as key drivers for 
growth.  
Investment in the development of young people’s skills and entrepreneurship is key 

 
  Support for the digital transformation would need to be reinforced  
  Strengthening the green agenda is important, building on the achievements to date 

The  top  priority  of  respondents  was  the  focus  on  growth/jobs  to  obtain  sustainable  economic 
development  and  long-term  economic  resilience,  through  an  inclusive  circular  economy  that 
works  for  all.  The  development  of  trade  between  the  EU  and  the  Eastern  Partnership  (EaP) 
countries and between the countries themselves will deepen economic integration and strengthen 
the  overall  investment  and  business  climate.    Partnership  with  international  financial 
institutions will also be enhanced. 

Support  to  small  and  medium-sized  businesses  (SMEs  and  MSMEs)  including  those  in 
disadvantaged regions is key, as this could help unleash the partner countries’ growth, jobs and 
innovation potential. Access to finance, particularly in local currency, needs to be expanded and 

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support provided to women in business and to young entrepreneurs. Decentralisation will unleash 
the  full  economic  potential  of  the  regions,  strengthening  regional  and  local  authorities, 
businesses  and  civil  society  organisations,  creating  local  employment  opportunities  and 
countering migration towards capital cities. 

The creation of EU-EaP economic zones in specific sectors was proposed. This would go hand in 
hand  with  the  accession  to  the  single  euro  payments  area  (SEPA)  of,  at  first,  the  associated 
countries  (Ukraine,  Moldova  and  Georgia),  enhancing  the  international  role  of  the  euro.  A 
dedicated  Investment  Promotion  Office  for  EaP  countries  could  facilitate  foreign  direct 
investment flows and contacts between SMEs and the respective authorities in Member States and 
partner  countries.  The  importance  of  the  EU’s  External  Investment  Plan  (which  provides 
entrepreneurs  willing  to  invest  with  financial  support,  guarantees  and  technical  assistance)  was 
also underlined. 

Development of core transport networks and links among the partner countries and with the EU 
through extension of the TEN-T is a key initiative. An EaP connectivity partnership will ensure 
that priority is given to green connectivity (green ports, green urban transport, smart cities).  

Improving  the  environmental  and  climate  resilience  of  the  partner  countries  by  upscaling 
support to green actions and policies came out strongly in the consultation. Partner countries need 
support  to  implement  their  commitments  under  the  Paris  Agreement  and  the  Sustainable 
Development  Goals  (SDGs).  They  could  be  associated  with  the  EU’s  Green  Deal, 
commensurate  to  their  capacities.  Addressing  air,  water  and  land  pollution,  unlocking  the 
potential of raw materials sector to contribute to the SDGs and overall resource security, tackling 
deforestation  and  protecting  biodiversity,  improving  the  sustainable  management  of  forests  and 
open access to efficient use and fair trade of food and its derivatives, and investing in sustainable 
agriculture will improve public health. 

A focus on the energy sector for the EU and for EaP countries, in tandem with effective climate 
policies,  will  develop  energy  resilience.  Energy  dependency  can  be  reduced  through  green 
finance,  diversification  of  energy  sources  and  routes,  security  of  supply,  promoting  energy 
efficiency  and  renewable  energy  initiatives.  Investing  in  infrastructure  for  energy  and 
transport  interconnectivity  between  EaP  countries  and  the  EU  will  address  infrastructure 
vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, environmental challenges and hybrid threats. 

In  the  context  of  the  digital  transformation,  respondents  also  highlighted  the  importance  of 
increased  support  for  digital  competences/skills,  including  focusing  on  people  in  the  labour 
force  who  are  55  and  over,  along  with  further  efforts  to  harmonise  digital  markets.  Several 
stakeholders from both Member States and partner countries advocate increased access across the 
region to broadband, and steps towards a common roaming space. 

Further  support  for  young  people  and  education  is  also  strongly  prioritised,  with  various 
suggestions to strengthen EU support to youth education, employability, mobility and engagement 
in decision-making. A ‘New Deal for Youth’ is proposed; this would  bridge the gap between the 
labour  market  and  the  education  sector,  build  capacities  of  young  professionals  and  enable 
structured  youth  policy  dialogue  including  e.g.  through  a  job  shadowing  scheme  for  young 
professionals  and  a  network  of  ‘Youth  Councils’.  Vocational  Education  and  Training  (VET) 
and higher education reforms should continue and could be extended to primary and secondary 
education. The Erasmus+ programme is a popular and effective enabler of education reforms and 
increased mobility and people-to-people contacts. The European School in Georgia has been 
recognised as a success and needs to be pursued and further developed. 

Eastern  Partnership  and  EU  research  and  innovation  systems  and  programmes  need  to  be 
further  integrated,  for  instance  by  developing  a  pipeline  of  strategic  EaP  innovation  projects 
similar  to  the  TEN-T  network.  Current  work  on  technology  transfer  and  smart  specialisation 

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needs  to  be  further  developed.  The  full  implementation  of  visa  facilitation  and  readmission 
agreements and integrated border management should continue. 

Gender  equality  needs  to  be  more  effectively  mainstreamed  across  the  new  policy  framework. 
The  EaP  countries  would  achieve  significant  economic  and  social  benefits  by  empowering 
women, young people, people with disabilities and minorities. 

2. How can we further strengthen good governance, the rule of law and the security dimension 
of the Eastern Partnership? 

Key responses: 

  Governance and rule of law should remain the cornerstone of the Eastern Partnership 
  Smart conditionality (the principle of ‘more for more’ and ‘less for less’) is important to 
improve results in governance and particularly rule of law and fight against corruption 
  Hybrid and cyber threats present new challenges which need a coordinated response 

Governance  and  rule  of  law  emerged  as  one  of  the  most  important  priorities  of  EU  Member 
States  and  most  partner  countries.  This  view  was  supported  by  civil  society  and  by  the 
responses  made  through  the  website.  Political  will  continues  to  be  an  absolute  prerequisite  for 
making a real difference.  

Resilience needs strengthening at all levels, including democratic, media, civil society, economic, 
energy  and  security  resilience.  To  foster  long-term  resilience,  a  strong  link  is  needed  between 
growth and jobs on the one hand and governance and rule of law reform, on the other. 

Rule  of  law  work  to  be  done  includes:  (i)  simplification  of  laws  to  reduce  corruption;  (ii) 
improving  links  between  state  actors  and  ‘watchdogs’;  and  (iii)  ensuring  a  zero-tolerance 
approach to breaches of the rule of law. The effective investigation, sanction and prosecution of 
economic crime, including through use of digital tools, to tackle corruption are key in this regard. 
The EU needs to draw more heavily on the monitoring of progress towards governance reforms when 
incentivising  partner  countries  to  continue  with  reform  and  discouraging  them  from  backsliding 
(positive and negative conditionality). 

The  capacity  of  the  justice  systems  in  the  partner  countries,  including  parliaments  and  the 
judiciary,  requires  sustained  support  if  reforms  are  to  be  tangible  and  likely  to  endure.  Another 
leitmotiv  of  the  consultation  responses  is  the  desire  for  greater  cooperation  between  the  justice 
and law enforcement sectors, particularly in combating organised crime and trafficking of human 
beings and illicit goods. 

Local  authorities,  academia,  think  tanks,  human  rights  defenders  and  civil  society 
organisations should be involved in monitoring reforms on the ground. More structured dialogue 
with think tanks and academia on EaP policy was suggested in particular.  

A significant number of respondents mentioned security as a priority area for the EaP; however, 
the responses are widely ranging in tone. There is a call for more cooperation and integration of 
partner countries into EU security and resilience structures such as EU Agency for Cyber Security 
(ENISA)/Permanent  Structured  Cooperation  (PESCO)  and  the  possible  participation  of  partner 
countries  in  common  security  and  defence  policy  (CSDP)  missions.  This  call  is  particularly 
strong  from  the  three  associated  countries.  Cooperation  should  continue  on  prevention, 
preparedness  and  response  to  disasters.  More  joint  efforts  are  needed  on  cyber  security  and 
hybrid  threats,  and  on  fighting  disinformation  and  fake  news,  with  respondents  to  the 
consultation  sending  a  clear  message  about  the  need  to  improve  cooperation,  exchanges  and 
capacity building with partner countries.  

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There is a need for continued capacity building in national, regional and local government and 
public  administration reform  needs  to  be  in  line  with  the EU2.  The  active  engagement  of  local 
and regional actors in decision-making needs to increase, including support for grass roots civil 
society,  independent  media,  eGovernance  and  eDemocracy.    An  EaP  academy  for  public 
administration was proposed. 

3. How can we enhance cooperation between Eastern partners, while ensuring inclusiveness and 
differentiation in their relations with the EU? 

Key responses: 

  Striking the right balance between inclusiveness and differentiation is key 
 

Intra-regional cooperation and mobility need to be increased 

Striking the right balance between inclusiveness and differentiation remains key.  The bilateral 
and  multilateral  approaches  are  complementary,  mutually  reinforcing  and  equally  important. 
Partner  countries  who  so  wish  should  be  able  to  develop  deeper  bilateral  and  multilateral 
cooperation  with  the  EU  through  targeted  sectoral cooperation  in  key  areas  of  common  interest 
including transport/TEN-T, digitalisation, environment, education and trade. 

Leadership  by  partner  countries  in  policy  areas  where  they  are  perceived  to  be  ahead  of  the 
curve should be encouraged and best practice shared both with other EaP countries and with EU 
Member States.   

There are calls for increased cross-sectoral intra-Eastern Partnership cooperation in areas such 
as trade, connectivity, digitalisation, mobility and knowledge transfer, and in sectoral frameworks 
such as associations of EaP universities, businesses and chambers of commerce. 

4. How can we do more to enhance Eastern Partnership and EU visibility? 

Key responses: 

  Building on the achievements so far in increasing EU visibility, there is a need to step up 

a coordinated response to address disinformation 

  Media literacy and the role of an independent media and civil society are important 

The  EU  needs  to  further  enhance  its  strategic  communication  to  ensure  better  visibility  and 
outreach  for  EU  policy,  partners’  reform  achievements  and  concrete  projects  and  initiatives. 
Concrete proposals to improve EU visibility include enlarging the target audience, with emphasis 
on young people, and reaching out to key multipliers outside the capital and big cities. Enhancing 
people-to-people  contacts  and  cultural  exchanges  can  generate  a  new  spirit  of  dialogue,  mutual 
listening  and  learning,  joint  capacity  building  and  global  solidarity.  Strategic  communication 
about  Eastern  Partnership  policy  is  also  needed  within  the  EU.  A  coordinated  response  to 
disinformation  is  needed  to  build  societal  resilience,  capitalising  on  positive  developments 
(including the European External Action Service’s StratCom East Task Force). 

Eastern Partnership summits and other high-level meetings could be made more visible by being 
organised  in  partner  countries,  possibly  as  part  of  Eastern  Partnership  Days.  In  addition, 
responses  to the consultation  also  mentioned the crucial  importance  of  independent  media  and 

2  The  EU  has  agreed  a  comprehensive  definition  of  public  administration,  which  includes:  (i)  a  strategic 
framework  for public administration; (ii)  policy development and coordination; (iii) public service  and human 
resource management; (iv) accountability; (v) public service delivery; and (vi) public financial management. 

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the  boosting  of  media  literacy  in  all  areas  of  society  as  key  for  democratic  and  societal 
resilience. 

5. Are there any other proposals and reflections on the future of the Eastern Partnership? 

The final, more open-ended, question invited stakeholders to come up with reflections that may 
not fit within the first four. A non-exhaustive list is presented below. 

Key responses: 

  Local actors, including government and civil society, need to be more empowered 
  Support to vulnerable social groups and tackling regional disparities are important 
  The architecture works but needs to adapt to new challenges and become more efficient 

and results-oriented 

Increasing  involvement  of  all  key  stakeholders  in  policy  dialogue  is  something  many 
stakeholders call for.  The EaP structure can be more effective with fewer, better-prepared and 
better-managed  meetings  and  increased  Member  State  participation  in  platforms  and  panels.  To 
encourage  greater  ownership  and  leadership,  a  system  was  suggested  in  which  individual 
countries  would  take  a  leading  role  in  driving  action  on  a  particular  subject.  EU  Member  States, 
partner  countries  and  civil  society  need  a  stronger  role  in  the  design,  implementation  and 
monitoring of the EaP. 

There are calls for a stronger EU role in existing frameworks for unresolved conflicts, and greater 
support for those affected by conflict, particularly women, children and minorities. 

Health  and  wellbeing  features  as  a  prominent  priority,  with  a  focus  on  communicable  &  non-
communicable  diseases,  e-health,  medical  facility  modernisation,  training  of  medical  staff, 
affordable medical care, and sport. 

Culture  and  the  creative  industries  emerge  as  important  sectors  that  contribute  to  both  the 
social and economic dimensions of the partnership. Investments in cultural projects contribute to 
the competitiveness, attractiveness and social cohesion of cities and regions.   Regional tourism 
requires  development  through  exchanges  of  best  practices,  practical  course  exchanges  and 
organisation  of  events.  This  will  help  address  regional  disparities  and  improve  economic 
development of remote areas. 

IV. Implementation of the 20 Deliverables for 2020  

The ‘20 Deliverables for 2020’ were prepared by  the European Commission in 2017  following 
consultations with Member States, partner countries and other stakeholders. They form a common 
work plan guiding actions and reforms under the Eastern Partnership for the period up to 2020, 
and provide a reform agenda aimed at delivering tangible results to citizens. The 20 deliverables 
were  endorsed  by  partner  countries  and  EU  Member  States  at  the  Brussels  Eastern  Partnership 
Summit in November 2017.   

The  European  Commission  regularly  monitors  the  implementation  of  the  deliverables, 
highlighting  both  achievements  and  areas  where  additional  effort  may  be  needed.  The  latest 
review  of  the  implementation  of  this  joint  reform  agenda  can  be  found  in  Annex  I  to  this 
document.  The  review  is  based  on  inputs  from  all  partners  and  stakeholders,  including  those 
provided as part of the Eastern Partnership bodies and other consultations. The assessment of the 
partner  countries’  progress  in  implementing  the  20  deliverables  is  positive  overall  as  regards 
achieving stronger economies, stronger connectivity and stronger society.  

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On  the  economy,  good  progress  is  noted  for  instance  in  deliverables  4  (SME  support)  and  5 
(access to finance), with increases in the number of SMEs benefiting from EU assistance, in local 
currency  lending  and  in  jobs  created  by  SMEs.  On  connectivity,  good  progress  is  observed  in 
deliverable  15  (energy  efficiency),  with  30  more  municipalities  signing  up  to  CO2  reduction 
commitments by 2030 under the Covenant of Mayors. As regards stronger society, there has been, 
for  instance,  progress  in  deliverable  18,  with  a  substantial  increase  in  the  number  of  students 
taking part in the Erasmus+ programme.  

The monitoring  update  also  shows  achievements  in  the  area  of  stronger  governance,  including 
public service delivery (deliverable 11). However, there are outstanding challenges on justice and 
anti-corruption,  as  well  as  on  gender,  the  enabling  environment  for  civil  society  and  non-
discrimination.  Success  stories  include  support  for  SMEs  in  Georgia,  Moldova  and  Ukraine, 
energy  efficiency  in  Ukraine, access  to  public and private  services  in  Azerbaijan, academic  and 
youth  support  under  Erasmus  +;  the  first  Eastern  Partnership  European  School  in  Georgia  and 
digital education in Armenia, as well as the Young European Ambassadors initiative.  

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Annex I 

20 DELIVERABLES FOR 2020 
Monitoring – State of Play in February 2020 

The 2017 Eastern Partnership (EaP) Brussels Summit endorsed the ‘20 Deliverables for 
2020’  as  an  ambitious  work  plan  for  reforms  in  the  EaP  that  would  bring  tangible 
benefits for citizens.   

To  help  Member  States  and  partner  countries  guide  the  process,  the  EEAS  and  the 
Commission  regularly  monitor  the  implementation  of  the  Deliverables,  highlighting 
both achievements and areas where additional effort may be needed.  

This document provides an updated overview of both the implementation of the ‘20 
Deliverables for 2020’ and concrete results achieved by February 2020. It does not 
contain  new  commitments.  Its  findings  are  based  on  an  internal  monitoring  process 
that involved the EEAS and the Commission, which also take into consideration results 
from meetings of the EaP institutional structure (including platforms and panels). This 
document  selectively  highlights  the  most  representative  findings  from  the  in-depth 
internal monitoring. The previous report covered results achieved until March 2019.    

CROSS-CUTTING 

    ECONOMY 

GOVERNANCE 

CONNECTIVITY 

      SOCIETY 

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