About the EuroEast

The main players

Funding and resources

Regional dimension

Background info
 
Since the EU’s enlargement in 2004, an ever deeper relationship is being built between the Union and the countries on its Eastern borders. The aim is to bring these neighbours closer and support their efforts for economic, social and political reform. Six of them, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine participate in one of the EUs newest external relations policies, the Eastern Partnership and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Each of them, except Belarus, has a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) that serves as a political and legal framework for cooperation. With Russia, the EU has a separate Strategic Partnership. All these countries participate in the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), the financial toolbox that turns decisions taken on a political level into actions on the ground.
 
The main players
 
The dialogue between the EU and its Eastern neighbours is secured through joint institutions set up under the PCAs. The key one is the Cooperation Council. With Russia, it is the Permanent Partnership Council.
 
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is the first single EU policy embracing its Eastern neighbours, and aims at bringing them into a closer and deeper relationship (alongside the Southern branch of this same policy for the Mediterranean). The ‘ENP East’, as it is known, engages with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The ENP is also opened to Belarus, which can become a full partner provided it takes convincing steps towards democratisation, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
 
Within the ENP, each partner state except for Belarus has an Action Plan that lays out the strategic objectives. With Ukraine, the EU is negotiating an Association Agreement that will take over from the PCA. A similar initiative is being set up with Moldova. All six countries have a Country Strategy Paper outlining current bilateral priorities, and a jointly adopted National Indicative Programme. These and other relevant documents can be found here.  
 
 
Russia
 
Russia is not part of the ENP. Its relationship with the EU is defined as a Strategic Partnership, which is consistent with the ENP but evolves along different lines, namely "the four common spaces". At its launch in May 2003 (St. Petersburg Summit), the EU and Russia stressed it would be underpinned by common values and shared interests. At the Moscow Summit in May 2005, the EU and Russia adopted Road Maps towards creating the following common spaces: 
 
  • The Common Economic Space;
  • The Common Space on Freedom, Security and Justice;
  • The Common Space on External Security;
  • The Common Space on Research, Education and Culture.
 

Funding and resources
 
 
Cooperation with all of the Eastern partner countries, including Russia, is funded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), which began operating in 2007, replacing its predecessor, the TACIS Programme (Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States). The ENPI is a much more flexible, policy-driven instrument. Funds allocated to individual country programmes depend on their needs and absorption capacity, as well as their implementation of agreed reforms. The overall allocation for the ENPI, which is increased compared to the past, amounts to over €12 billion for the period 2007-2013.
Overall, the EU’s support to its Eastern neighbours focuses on the bilateral level, with the regional dimension being complementary. Priority areas for regional cooperation with the partners in the East are defined in the ENPI Eastern Regional Strategy Paper for 2007 to 2013, adopted by the European Commission in March 2007. Funding of €223 million has been earmarked for the period 2007 to 2010.
 
The main fields for cooperation with the Eastern partner states are: poverty reduction and social reform, support for democratic development, rule of law and governance, as well as support for economic development; transport; energy; sustainable management of natural resources; border and migration management, the fight against transnational organized crime and customs; people-to-people activities; explosive remnants of war, small arms and light weapons.
 
 
Regional dimension
 
 
The choice of regional projects reflects the priority areas of cooperation as defined in the European Council policy decisions. Regional projects can be viewed here.
 
A number of European Commission thematic budgets apply to the Eastern partner states, such as the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), the education programmes TEMPUS and Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window, as well as the EU’s research programme FP7.
 
Among the regional initiatives the Northern Dimension policy, bringing together the EU, Norway, Iceland and Russia, is unique. It addresses environmental challenges and promotes economic cooperation and people-to-people contacts in the European North.
 
Following the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, in order to address the challenges of the Black Sea region where several unresolved conflicts and the state of the environment are of acute concern, the EU proposed a policy aimed at enhancing cooperation among the littoral states, namely the Black Sea Synergy (BSS). The new initiative, launched in 2008, involves all the ENP Eastern partners, except Belarus, as well as Russia and Turkey.
 
The EU also maintains two border missions in the region. The first is the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM), set up in November 2005 to observe the situation on the common border between the two countries and help prevent smuggling, trafficking, and customs fraud. The second, the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia EUMM, was set up after the conflict with Russia in August 2008 to help stabilize the situation and find a lasting solution.
 
At the same time, an EU Special Representative for the crisis in Georgia was appointed. Two more of the eleven EU Special Representatives (EUSRs), tasked with promoting the EU’s policies and interests in troubled regions and countries, cover the Eastern neighbourhood: Moldova and the South Caucasus.
 
 
Background info
 
Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs)
 
 
Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the EU established relations with each of the New Independent States. By the end of the nineties, it had signed a set of similar Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA) with all of them, except Belarus. While these PCAs are still operational, most Eastern Neighbours are now negotiating successor agreements that would reflect their aspirations to upgrade relations with the EU.
 
The PCAs sought to strengthen political, commercial, economic and cultural ties with the Eastern Partners, establishing institutional framework for bilateral contacts. The agreements cover political dialogue, trade, investment, financial and legislative cooperation, science and technology, education and training, culture, prevention of illegal activities, cooperation in energy, nuclear and space technology, environment and transport.
 
TACIS Programme
 
For more than a decade, the EU has been supporting the transition of the Eastern Partners to market economy and pluralistic democracy through the TACIS Programme (Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States). TACIS was launched in 1991 with the idea that the multiplier effect of technical assistance would be bigger than that of direct investment. 
 
TACIS concentrated on initiatives aimed to alleviate the social consequences of transition and to assist in the following areas:
 
  • institutional, legal and administrative reform;
  • economic development; 
  • infrastructure networks;
  • environment;
  • nuclear safety.
 
Overall, the EU has allocated over €7 billion to TACIS between 1991 and 2006, when it was taken over by the ENPI (see below). Russia has been the largest beneficiary country, receiving around €200 million annually.
 
ENPI Regulation
ENP website – Reference documents

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