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20 deliverables for 2020
Cross cutting deliverables
The EU and partner countries’ cooperation features three cross-cutting issues: engagement with civil society, women’s empowerment and gender balance, and strategic communication.
While progress has been achieved in the area of strengthening strategic communication, creating an enabling environment for civil society and independent media needs urgent attention.
Cross cutting deliverables
The EU and partner countries’ cooperation features three cross-cutting issues: engagement with civil society, women’s empowerment and gender balance, and strategic communication.
While progress has been achieved in the area of strengthening strategic communication, creating an enabling environment for civil society and independent media needs urgent attention.
- Moderate progress:
- On track:
- Completed:
- Capacity building actions ongoing in all Partner Countries targeting grassroots organisations, active citizenships and mobilisation of local resources.
- 40 young civil society leaders’ fellowships awarded.
- Boosted engagement with the Civil Society Forum for enhanced policy dialogue in the context of the revised Eastern Partnership institutional set up.
- Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have specific Gender Action Plans.
- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have specific laws on gender equality.
- All six Partner Countries have adopted specific legislation against domestic violence.
- Regional campaigns under the new Eastern Partnership visual identity and the slogan “stronger together” have been launched at the Eastern Partnership Summit.
- Communication campaigns encompassing all EU actions are ongoing in all Partner Countries. Particularly comprehensive communication campaigns have been launched in Georgia (“EUforGeorgia”) and Ukraine (“Moving forward together”).
- According to the EU Neighbours East survey 2018, more than 60% of citizens from Partner Countries have a positive perception of their relations with the EU, generally consistent compared to last year. The EU is strongly associated with positive values.
- Journalists and media professionals have been trained in several areas of journalism literacy and skills, contributing to media independence.
- EaP citizens’ positive perception of the EU is increasing: trust in the EU is higher than ever, with 61% (up 4% since 2017) of citizens considering the EU as the most trustworthy foreign institution.
- Creating an enabling environment for civil society
- Supporting pluralism and independent media
- Ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination
Special attention needs to be paid to Deliverable 1 (civil society support), where an enabling environment for civil society needs to be strengthened more actively.
In Deliverable 2 (Gender equality and non-discrimination), implementation of Gender Action Plans needs to be further improved, anti-discrimination laws better aligned with international standards and the Istanbul Convention signed and ratified by remaining Partner Countries.
In Deliverable 3 (strategic communication), further focus on the media environment, with special attention on media plurality and professionalism is required.
Stronger economy
Building the economic resilience of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine is at the heart of the EU’s contribution towards having a stable neighbourhood.
In this context, the EU and EaP partner countries are working together to develop stronger, diversified and vibrant economies across the region. Significant progress has been made to help small and medium-sized businesses (SME) grow; to attract investments; to create jobs in new sectors; and to increase trade opportunities by supporting access to new markets.
Stronger economy
Building the economic resilience of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine is at the heart of the EU’s contribution towards having a stable neighbourhood.
In this context, the EU and EaP partner countries are working together to develop stronger, diversified and vibrant economies across the region. Significant progress has been made to help small and medium-sized businesses (SME) grow; to attract investments; to create jobs in new sectors; and to increase trade opportunities by supporting access to new markets.
- Moderate progress:
- On track:
- Completed:
- Since 2016, almost 5.000 SMEs (70% in DCFTA countries) have benefited from EU financial assistance (~50% of the 2020 target). 30.000 jobs have been created or sustained, and over 218 business support organisations were assisted through the EU4Business initiative.
- Out of EUR 137 million in new access to finance programmes committed since the end of 2016, around 50% (EUR 67 million) will mobilise local currency lending. Policy work is also ongoing to increase SME’s access to finance through non-banking financial alternatives.
- Since 2016, over 250 Local Authorities have committed to submit a plan for local economic development (and 100 are actively working on it), while 16 urban demonstration projects have been kick-started.
- EaP partners agreed on a perspective for an intra-EaP regional roaming agreement by 2020, as well as the promotion of broadband development at the Informal Partnership Dialogue in Minsk.
- Volumes of trade between all 6 countries and the EU have increased since 2016: by 15% with Armenia, 17% with Azerbaijan, 19% with Belarus, 6% with Georgia, 20% with Moldova and 24% with Ukraine.
- The number of companies from DCFTA countries exporting to the EU has increased since 2015: Georgia by 30%, Moldova by 9% and Ukraine by 4%.
- More than 50% of the EU’s loans to SMEs are now in local currency. For example: 6,500 Georgian SMEs have received loans under the EU4Business Initiative
- Increase in trade between all six partner countries and the EU since 2016: by 15% with Armenia, 17% with Azerbaijan, 19% with Belarus, 6% with Georgia, 20% with Moldova, and 24% with Ukraine
- Consensus with all six partner countries on a perspective for a roaming agreement for the region by 2020.
Special attention needs to be paid to Deliverable 7 (digital markets) to ensure the commitments made are effectively implemented.
In Deliverable 8 (trade), it is necessary to address the mixed performance of intra-regional trade (e.g. an EU financed dedicated Trade Helpdesk would be instrumental to this effect) and to assure the full implementation of trade agreements to maximise benefits in the medium and long term. Moreover, efforts need to be enhanced to fulfil the conditions for starting the negotiations of Agreements on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA).
Stronger governance
Scaling-up efforts in the area of strengthening institutions and good governance is a top priority for the EU in the EaP countries where challenges remain.
In particular, more efforts need to be made in the rule of law, implementing key judicial reforms, and in the fight against corruption. These are the preconditions for citizens’ trust in the state, long-term stability and an investment-safe climate.
Stronger governance
Scaling-up efforts in the area of strengthening institutions and good governance is a top priority for the EU in the EaP countries where challenges remain.
In particular, more efforts need to be made in the rule of law, implementing key judicial reforms, and in the fight against corruption. These are the preconditions for citizens’ trust in the state, long-term stability and an investment-safe climate.
- Moderate progress:
- On track:
- Completed:
- E-asset declaration systems have been set up in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine; Azerbaijan has expressed its interest in such systems.
- Improvements in the access to justice can be observed, for instance through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) legislation adopted in Georgia.
- Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine adopted their Public Administration Reform strategies in line with the Principles of Public Administration (revisions planned).
- Improvements in civil service laws have paved the way towards a more depoliticised civil service in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
- Georgia and Moldova regularly contribute to EU CSDP operations, while Ukraine plans to continue its contribution to EU Battle Groups in 2018 and 2019. The European Security and Defence College has successfully trained more than 3000 relevant staff from Partner Countries.
- The recent signature of an Administrative Agreement on Disaster Risk Management Cooperation with Georgia as well as a successful full-scale field exercise in the area of civil protection in Moldova “EU MOLDEX 2017″ have reinforced cooperation between Partner Countries and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
- A national cybersecurity strategy has been adopted in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
- Strengthening the rule of law
- Implementing key judicial reforms and reinforcing public administration
- Strengthening security cooperation, notably to tackle organised crime, support conflict resolution, and protect against new threats and cybersecurity
Special attention needs to be paid to Deliverable 9 (rule of law), in particular as regards establishing high-level anti-corruption bodies, setting up of a track record of investigations and convictions of high-level and complex corruption cases, enhancing cooperation on tools for financial investigations and establishing public registries of beneficial ownership.
Regarding Deliverable 10 (key judicial reforms), progress is needed as regards merit-based recruitment, reduction of backlog of cases and enforcement of judgements in civil and administrative cases.
In Deliverable 12 (security), there is a need to strengthen the capacity of cybercrime units created within law enforcement authorities in order to make them operational.
Stronger connectivity
The EU’s work with partner countries to improve transport links and infrastructure, boost energy resilience and efficiency, as well as the use of renewable energy to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions has resulted in significant progress.
Continuing to invest in these areas will lead to greater sustainable economic development and concrete benefits to the lives of citizens by reducing energy dependence and consumption.
Stronger connectivity
The EU’s work with partner countries to improve transport links and infrastructure, boost energy resilience and efficiency, as well as the use of renewable energy to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions has resulted in significant progress.
Continuing to invest in these areas will lead to greater sustainable economic development and concrete benefits to the lives of citizens by reducing energy dependence and consumption.
- Moderate progress:
- On track:
- Completed:
- High-level Understandings with all Partner Countries on defining the extended core TEN-T network have been signed. The Transport Infrastructure Investment Action Plan has been finalised following discussions with all partners.
- All countries have endorsed a Declaration on Road Safety and Road Safety Investment Programmes are in place in Armenia and Ukraine.
- Progress on the Southern Gas Corridor is on track - inauguration of the Azerbaijan-Georgia section and the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP).
- A roadmap for the identification of energy interconnectivity projects of interest to the Eastern Partnership was adopted.
- Within the framework of Covenant of Mayors, 134 Local Authorities have committed to cut CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020.
- The high level EU-IFIs energy efficiency initiative has increased political ownership in Partner Countries and led to improved legislation and investments, e.g. in Ukraine an Energy Efficiency Fund for residential buildings was established.
- With its recent extension to Belarus, the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environmental Partnership (E5P) is active in five Partner Countries. Azerbaijan is preparing to join it.
- Some 400 enterprises learned about green economy solutions and defined tailored measures that can result in annual savings of EUR 9.4 million.
- Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine adopted new laws on environmental assessment of strategies, plans, and investment projects.
- To protect and connect natural areas, the six Eastern partners identified additional Emerald Network sites with an area 4 times the size of Belgium.
- The indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan finalized, foreseeing approximately 5,500 kilometres of roads and railways across the region by 2020 and an additional 4,600 kilometres by 2030
- The recent inauguration of the Azerbaijan – Georgia section of the Southern Gas Corridor strengthens common energy security
- A high-level energy efficiency initiative between the EU and International Financial Institutions has led to improved legislation and investments to reach more people, municipalities and SMEs to help cut energy bills, and improve standards
Special attention needs to be paid to Deliverable 14 (energy security), where challenges relating to interconnection projects other than the Southern Gas Corridor still need to be overcome. Additional efforts also need to be made on the unbundling of the gas transmission system operators in those partners who are Energy Community Contracting Parties.
In Deliverable 15 (energy efficiency), further efforts need to be made on regulatory aspects of energy efficiency and on the monitoring and implementation of the reduction of CO2 emissions.
In addition, other transboundary environmental problems need further attention within the framework of Deliverable 16 (environment and climate change).
Stronger society
The EU and six Eastern partners’ societies are now closer than ever due to the increased number of opportunities for more contacts between people across borders.
Together, the EU and partner countries have invested in young people’s skills, entrepreneurship and employability, including by developing education policies.
Stronger society
The EU and six Eastern partners’ societies are now closer than ever due to the increased number of opportunities for more contacts between people across borders.
Together, the EU and partner countries have invested in young people’s skills, entrepreneurship and employability, including by developing education policies.
- Moderate progress:
- On track:
- Completed:
- Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine continue to fulfil the Visa Liberalisation Action Plans benchmarks, as per the first Commission report under the Visa Regulation's new suspension mechanism.
- Modernisation of Border Crossing Points’ network is on track – e.g. the first jointly operated EU-EaP border crossing point (Poland and Ukraine). The European Border and Coast Guard Agency provides continued support to capacity building.
- The EU4Youth programme is operational, encompassing 49 Civil Society Fellowships, 37 Partnerships for Entrepreneurship and six large projects addressing challenges for youth entrepreneurship and disadvantaged youth, benefitting around 23.000 young people.
- Erasmus+ provides strong support to mobility and quality of formal and non-formal education, with over 1.000 bilateral projects among EU and EaP higher education institutions, 17.000 individuals participating in academic exchanges, 30.000 young people involved in youth exchanges, mobility and volunteering, and 1.200 teachers involved in eTwinning Plus.
- Participation of cultural and audio-visual actors from the EaP countries in the Creative Europe programme has increased.
- As of September 2018, the new Eastern Partnership European School in Tbilisi will be operational with the first 30 students from all EaP Countries.
- All Partner Countries have full access to all Horizon 2020 funding schemes for individual researchers.
- Partner Countries’ national research and education networks are integrated in the pan-European GÉANT network.
- The Eastern Partnership European School was launched in Tbilisi welcoming the first 30 pupils from the six partner countries
- Since 2014, 30,000 young people have taken part in exchanges, mobility and volunteering through Erasmus+ and over 1,000 schools from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have been involved in exchanges and professional development for teachers through the eTwinning Plus platform
- The EU4Youth programme is actively supporting the employability and entrepreneurship of around 23,000 young people in partner countries, and 200 Young European Ambassadors are fostering cooperation with youth organisations across the EU and the partner countries
- All partner countries have full access to Horizon 2020 funding schemes for individual researchers.
Special attention needs to be paid to Deliverable 17, by continuing to monitor progress concerning mobility partnerships, as well as to Deliverable 18, by strengthening existing efforts to address quality education and challenges for youth employment and young people not engaged in education, employment or training.
