The EU’s Eastern Partnership – More for More, or More of the Same?
The EU’s Eastern Partnership – More for More, or More of the Same?

Summary/Abstract: The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a relatively recent form of the EU’s engagement with its Eastern neighbours, although it is firmly placed in the existing frameworks of cooperation. Initiated as a restatement of the EU’s commitment to diffusing shared democratic values, it confronts a distinct degree of democratic backsliding in the region. The EU’s rediscovery of civil society as an instrument to curb such troubling developments is commendable. Yet it is crucial that civil society involvement in reform goes beyond being a mere procedural requirement and strives towards genuine ownership. In order to achieve this, the definition of civil society needs to be inclusive and derived from the local political context. A more individualised approach to forging relations with countries in the region is a positive sign, but it can only come to fruition if it is accompanied by a substantive rethinking of the logic of the EU’s assistance. The proliferation of tracks and venues of cooperation that the EaP brings about requires a better justification for the allocated funding and more in terms of its synergy with existing programmes for and in the region.

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