European Eastern Partnership: Recommendations for a Refined Approach, 10.03.2015.

Ten years after its inception, the European Union is reviewing the approach and instruments of the European Neighborhood policy. While the policy as a whole has not yielded the expected progress in stabilizing the countries concerned, Europe’s approach to its Eastern Partnership (EaP) neighbors has been put to a serious test by recent events in the region. The May 2015 Riga Summit will be a significant opportunity for the EU to refine its policy toward its eastern neighborhood. In light of Russia’s deliberate destabilization efforts in neighboring and EU countries, the EU will need to present a coherent strategy setting out clear objectives for policy toward every single EaP state. The report European Eastern Partnership: Recommendations for a Refined Approach is a result of two expert meetings on the future of the eastern neighborhood policy that were held as part of the GMF-LATO series of workshops known as the “Riga Process.”

The authors have drawn from these debates and added further insights to provide policy recommendations on how to reshape the future of the EaP in light of the EU’s new strategic environment and its experience with different instruments. This publication contains concrete suggestions on how the EU can help the region move forward, taking into account the situation in each EaP state, with a detailed assessment of the individual structural, strategic, and domestic situation of the six countries concerned.