Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 10/2011

The EU's Eastern Neighbours: The state of reforms and the reform of the state

Julie Herschend Christoffersen

September 2011

Danish Institute for International Studies

Abstract

At the Prague Summit in 2009 the EU decided to establish the Eastern Partnership in order to further develop multilateral ties with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. September 29-30 2011 the next summit between the EU and the EU Partners will take place in Warsaw. In preparation for the summit, the EU’s policy towards the Eastern Partners has undergone a review process aimed at improving the effectiveness and visibility of the cooperation. At the same time a new phase of the bilateral assistance, the Danish Neighbourhood Programme, was being planned. In March 2011 DIIS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark hosted a conference in order to shed light on the possibilities, challenges and needs that would shape the next policy frameworks. This DIIS report is based on the written contributions of the speakers from the conference. The papers touch upon issues such as the political development, economic growth and coordination of assistance.