About: Eastern Partnership
EU warms to more integration with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
The idea of offering more tailor-made integration to the three Eastern associated partner countries, -- Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, -- is gaining momentum on the Commission's agenda, according to an EU official.
Thirteen countries call on EU to support Eastern Partnership vaccine efforts
Thirteen member states issued a call to the European Commission to support the Eastern Partnership countries in their efforts to obtain affordable and fair access to the COVID-19 vaccines, according to a joint letter seen by EURACTIV.
Partnership missing: SOTEU ignores the calls of Eastern allies for positive political signals
The EU’s Eastern Partnership is often touted by European officials as one of the bloc’s most foreign policies but was barely mentioned in Commission president’s first annual address, despite calls for more political signalling. Despite a strong focus on foreign...
MEPs praise Georgian political dialogue and COVID response, call for continued reforms
The European parliament on Wednesday (16 September) with overwhelming majority praised Georgia’s progress but called on the EU and NATO hopeful to press on with justice reforms and depoliticisation of the judiciary. Following the adoption of the report, the Georgian...
Ukraine ambassador offers preview of Eastern Partnership virtual meeting
EU and Eastern Partnership (EaP) heads of state and governments as well as European institution leaders are meeting via video link today (18 June) to underline the strategic importance of the partnership and discuss long-term objectives.
EU foreign affairs chief to turn to Europe’s East after COVID-19
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, confirmed that his first visit following the easing of coronavirus-related restrictions will be to Ukraine, in a bid to affirm the EU's leadership in the region.
COVID-19: Updates from the EU’s eastern neighbours
As EU countries begin mulling exit strategies, EURACTIV takes a look at the COVID-19 situation in EU's Eastern neighbourhood, including the spread of the virus and a short overview of containment measures.
EU, UN join forces to help Eastern neighbours fight organised crime
The EU and the UN's Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) yesterday (6 April) launched a programme to help Eastern Partnership countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - claw back assets linked to organised crime.
EU announces COVID-19 help for Balkans, Eastern neighbours after criticism
The EU on Monday (30 March) announced nearly €40 million to help Western Balkan countries deal with the coronavirus, after Brussels came under fire for not doing enough for its neighbours.
Eastern Partnership: Bilateral track to ensure tailor-made approach
The European Commission published its proposed five priorities for the Eastern Partnership (EaP) policy post-2020 on Wednesday (18 March). The new objectives centre on economy and trade, boosting judicial reforms, the environment and digitalisation, as well as tackling corruption and strengthening civil society and media.
Eastern Partnership’s champions expect more from the ‘geopolitical Commission’
As associated countries of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova ask for a more ambitious Eastern Partnership (EaP) policy, the debate continues about the next steps and available financial support for what is lauded as one of the EU's most successful foreign policies.
‘Geopolitical’ Europe could struggle to take shape in troublesome 2020
Among the many foreign policy challenges facing the EU in 2020, the main theme will be how to assert itself on the world stage against China, the US and Russia, while upholding multilateralism and at least a semblance of global order.
Commissioner Várhelyi: Youth to become new ‘focal point’ in Eastern Partnership
In one of his first public appearances, Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, said on Thursday (4 December) reviving civil society and economy by reaching out to youth would be his priority in the context of Eastern Partnership.
Large scale corruption undermines EU’s Eastern Partnership, official says
When billions of dollars disappear from banks in Ukraine and Moldova, and justice isn't done in spite of European funds supporting judicial reforms in these countries, trust in the EU is inevitably eroded, said a high EU official.
In Georgia, EU opens first European School outside the bloc’s borders
In line with EU aims to deepen relations with the Eastern Partnership countries, EU and Georgian officials on Monday (16 September) launched a European School in Tbilisi, the first educational institution of this kind launched beyond the bloc’s boundaries.
Germany tells the East: Speed up reform or you will lose your population
Germany’s minister of state for Europe delivered a blunt message to a gathering of the Eastern Partnership, organised in the Georgian Black Sea city of Batumi on Thursday (11 July): unless reforms in Eastern Europe speed up, its young people will leave to find a better life in Western Europe.
Georgia suggests taking an unconventional path to EU accession
Georgia staked its claim to becoming an EU member on Thursday (11 July), even if it meant an innovative approach and "knocking on every door", its president told an international conference marking the tenth anniversary of the Eastern Partnership in the Georgian Black Sea city of Batumi.
Tusk hopes for ‘higher level’ of EU-Azerbaijan ties
On a visit to Baku on Tuesday (9 July), Council President Donald Tusk said the EU and Azerbaijan were “coming closer to each other every year”, and expressed the Union’s readiness to further deepen our cooperation with Azerbaijan, including in fields such as human rights.
Domestic challenges overshadow ten-year anniversary of EU’s Eastern Partnership
The strategic interests of Ukraine and the EU are "exactly the same", European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday (14 May) on the sidelines of a jubilee summit marking a decade of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) in Brussels.
Ukraine elections elephant in the room ahead of Eastern Partnership talks
Ahead of the Eastern Partnership's (EaP) tenth anniversary in May, EU foreign ministers are next week set to review the progress of the bloc’s framework with the six countries, with the situation in Ukraine being the elephant in the room.
Georgia’s NATO future resurfaces during Russia conflict anniversary
Foreign affairs chiefs from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine met in Georgia this week to take part in commemorations marking 10 years since Russia’s invasion of the Caucasus Republic during 2008's August War.
EU and Azerbaijan agree ‘Partnership Priorities’
A milestone in EU-Azerbaijan relations was reached in Brussels yesterday (11 July), with the end of negotiations of the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership Priorities in the presence of President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
MEP Nicolai: European Parliament is sometimes arrogant with EU’s neighbours
The EU has already failed in the Mediterranean and is hardly a relevant player there. Now it risks being isolated if it repeats the same mistake with its Eastern neighbours, Norica Nicolai, the European Parliament Rapporteur on the EU-Azerbaijan Comprehensive Agreement, told EURACTIV.