This lecture and discussion will further elaborate on topics such as the content, objectives,  instruments, priorities of the Eastern Partnership policy and key events that have influenced the development of the policy from 2009 to the present. We will summarise the most important issues in each of the countries that are (or have been until recently) covered by the policy and discuss the latest developments and questions that are currently (after February 2022) raised about the future of the policy.

We will also touch on issues that have in the past influenced and to a large extent still influence this policy: such as the different approaches of EU Member States to this policy and to the European Neighbourhood Policy in general, and the reasons for these different approaches.

How have the various topical issues on the EU agenda been reflected in the priorities and objectives of this policy? How do current challenges and issues influence the development of the policy?

The Eastern Partnership is currently at a crossroads: 3 of the countries included in the policy have already been granted candidate status and 2 of these countries are even supposed to start accession negotiations in the future. But Ukraine is experiencing a major military conflict, the duration of which no one dares to estimate. The situation in Moldova is also marked by the fragility of internal (political) situation, various divisions in the country (Transnistria, Gagauzia) and necessity for profund reforms (justice sector, energy sector, fight with corruption, situation of minorities etc.). The third candidate country, Georgia, represents the South Caucasus region, which is another region fraught with security challenges, uncertainties and conflicting interests of different actors.

Last but not least, we cannot forget Belarus, officially the Russian Federation's biggest ally in the Eastern European region, and a state that, under the influence of events in 2020 and beyond, has denounced its participation in the Eastern Partnership.

What to do about the current situation? Where should be the most important priorities for EU's activism and assitence in Eastern Europe? What next for the Eastern Partnership policy and what next for the EU's enlargement policy? What is/should be the role of (new) platforms such as the European Political Community?

We will also address these questions in the discussion.

Literature:

Susi Dennison (2023): Rescue mission: Von der Leyen´s call of history and the rules based global order, ecfr.eu.Commentary. 14 September 2023. On-line: https://ecfr.eu/article/rescue-mission-von-der-leyens-call-of-history-and-the-rules-based-global-order/

Sam Greene, Edward Lucas and Nicolas Tenzer (2023): The Road to Chisinau: The European Political Community. CEPA. May 23, 2023. On-line: https://cepa.org/comprehensive-reports/the-road-to-chisinau-the-european-political-community/

Stefan Lehne (2023): A Reluctant Magnet: Navigating the EU´s Absorption Capacity. Carnegie Europe. September 21, 2023. On-line: https://carnegieeurope.eu/2023/09/21/reluctant-magnet-navigating-eu-s-absorption-capacity-pub-90601

Piotr Buras and Engjellushe Morina (2023): Catch-27: The contradictory thinking about enlargement in the EU. Policy Brief, 23 November 2023. On-line: https://ecfr.eu/publication/catch-27-the-contradictory-thinking-about-enlargement-in-the-eu/

Further recommended:

Sailing on High Seas: Reforming and Enlarging the EU for the 21st Century. Report of the Franco-German Working Group on EU Institutional Reform. Paris - Berlin  18 September 2023

PRESENTATION: