The EU’s Rule of Law Initiative for Central Asia: From Initiative to More Substance?
The EU’s Rule of Law Initiative for Central Asia: From Initiative to More Substance?

Author(s): Martin Schuster
Subject(s): Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Politics and law
Published by: CEPS Centre for European Policy Studies
Keywords: European Union; rule of law; Central Asia; initiative;
Summary/Abstract: Since its launch in June 2007, the EU-Central Asia Strategy has been reviewed twice in Joint Progress Reports published by the Council and the European Commission. The latest review (June 2010) concludes that more work is needed on the ‘definition of [the EU’s] interests and priorities, the visibility of EU activities, and the coordination within the EU as well as with other actors’. One year later, prior to the launch of the EU-Central Asia Rule of Law Platform project, this conclusion deserves special attention as regards the European Rule of Law Initiative (RLI), one of the most prominent and crucial elements of the Strategy’s regional dimension. EU support for legal reform initiatives in Central Asian states did not begin with the 2007 Strategy and its RLI. Since their independence, the Central Asian states have benefited from various technical assistance programmes from the Commission and EU Member States.

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