EaP CSF Newsletter

For the newsletter in Russian, please click here

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram

In this Newsletter

With spring in full swing, we are fast approaching May and the official celebrations, linked to 10 years of Eastern Partnership (EaP) policy. If you are in Brussels, please do not forget to sign up to our own public event, taking place on 14 May – or follow our hashtag: #10YearsTogether, to know more about our activities. The question of how to take stock of policy achievements, and capitalise on its successes, often came up in the Steering Committee and Working Group (WG) meetings that recently took place.

In this respect, civil society is looking ahead milestone year 2020 – and continues to provide consistent recommendations to stakeholders. In the last month, EaP CSF took part in numerous EaP Platforms and Panels, as well as Senior Officials (SOM) and CORLEAP meetings. Across the board, we remain committed to widening representation and raising concerns, on enabling environment for civil society and good governance. The aftermath of Novruz amnesty, and the rule of law situation in Azerbaijan, shows that we must be vigilant, warns the Steering Committee in their statement.

News from EaP CSF

Registrations Now Open: Taking Stock of 10 years of the EaP Policy and Strategizing for after 2020 – Democracy, Human Rights, Good Governance and Stability

On 14 May, we will be holding our third public event at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, devoted to 10 years of EaP policy. The event will focus on the efficiency of delivery and its impact on the chronic problems in the region – including corruption, respect to human rights, rule of law and the state of judiciary.

The discussion will be focused on the future of the EaP policy – based on the EaP CSF policy paper, which will be published shortly before the event. In this paper, which is the result of consultations carried out among EaP CSF members in all six countries and the EU, we argue why the EU needs to revert its attention and efforts to democratisation and propose a menu of very concrete ideas on how the EaP policy can be improved, through big and small changes in three areas: partners for democratisation, policy tools and financial instruments. Be sure to register in time – the list will close on Sunday, 10 May at Midnight!

Agenda and Registration
EaP CSF Public Event Series

WG3 Focuses on Tackling Local and Cross-border Issues, Communicating Key Concerns to Stakeholders

On 10-11 April, WG3 Environment, Climate Change and Energy Security met in Brussels to agree on priorities and decide on its Coordinators. In the session with EU stakeholders: Angela Bularga (DG NEAR), Andrzej Januszewski (DG ENV) and Niels Schuster (DG CLIMA), members brought up the issue of civil society monitoring and impact assessment, under EIA/SEA legislation.

Together with senior representatives from World Bank, and European Policy Centre, the delegates learned more on advocating for more sustainable solutions, particularly in transport. The discussions on EIA legislation continued at the closing public event, looking at EaP policy achievements, in the field of environmentIna Coseru (EaPNational Environmental Center, Moldova) and Ana Otilia Nutu (EUExpert Forum, Romania) were duly re-elected as WG3 Coordinators.

WG3 Meeting Report
WG3 Meeting Picture Gallery

WG4 Takes Stock of Achievements, Deciding on Activities for the Year Ahead – in Culture, Education, Mobility and Youth

On 27-28 March, the annual meeting of WG4 group “Contacts between People” took place in Brussels. Sharing best practices, ensuring better representation and improving institutional dialogue in EaP countries are just a few common themes, which came up during the meeting. The delegates discussed also their participation in EaP Platforms and Panels, engaging in a dialogue with EU stakeholders: Ludovica Fabbri (DG NEAR) and Marta Wytrykowska (EEAS) – while presenting their country updates and elaborating on recommendations in the area of youth, education and culture.

Moreover, new WG4 Coordinators elections took place during the meeting: congratulations and best of luck to Zaur Akbar (EaPYouth Club Public Union, Azerbaijan) and Sintija Bernava (EU – Donum Animus, Latvia). What is more, the public event, marking 10 years of EaP policy, gave a chance to continue the discussion with experts and summed up some further recommendations to stakeholders.

WG4 Meeting Report
WG4 Meeting Picture Gallery

Steering Committee Prepares for 10 Years of EaP Policy, While Addressing Internal Reform and Current Issues in the Region

On 4-5 April, the Steering Committee reconvened in Brussels to discuss the upcoming anniversary of EaP policy initiative. Joining in the official celebrations, EaP CSF is currently working on a policy paper. It will be published in time for the high-level events, planned for 14 May. In bringing up their concerns from the region, the Steering Committee issued a statement on the rule of law in Azerbaijan, advising caution after the Novruz amnesty.

SC Statement on the Rule of Law Situation in Azerbaijan

Meetings

SOM: Civil Society Comments on EaP Policy Achievements – and Looks towards Year 2020 with Ambition

On 11 April, EaP CSF addressed the Senior Official Meeting (SOM) in Brussels – taking account of current EaP policy dialogue and discussing direction for further cooperation, after year 2020. In her speech, Ina Coseru, WG3 Coordinator and Steering Committee member, highlighted the need to make the new agenda “work for the benefit of whole societies”, adopting a more new nuanced approach and stronger regional dimension.

EaP Platform 4 Sparks a Debate on EU-EaP Cooperation, Mobility and Skills for Future Jobs

EaP Index – Summary: Citizens in Europe

EaP Platform 2 Offers an Opportunity to Share Concerns on Gender and Widening Digital Gap in the Region

On 10 April, Marianne Sakalova (Baltic Internet Policy Initiative, Belarus) and Veronika Mochvan (Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, Ukraine), discussed issues related to connectivity, market development and opportunities at the EaP Platform 2 meeting in Brussels. Sakalova, who represented EaP CSF at the Digital Ministerial last February, also shared civil society’s concerns on gender and educational opportunities, the context of promoting digital skills across the region.

EaP Panel on PAR Provides a New Perspective on Building a Public Consensus on Reform in Civil Service

On 2-3 April, Oleksandr Zaslavskyi (Agency for Legislative Initiatives, Ukraine), Igor Zagrekov (Polotsk Center of Local Initiatives, Belarus) and Ketevan Kurtskhalia (Women’s Political Resource Center, Georgia) represented EaP CSF at EaP Panel on Governance and Public Administration Reform (PAR) in Tbilisi. While there are clear disparities between EaP countries, the Association Agreements and strategies on Public Administration reform gave the impetus for change in other areas, “spilling” over to healthcare or law enforcement – argued Zaslavskyi, giving the example of Ukraine.

CORLEAP: Civil Society, Local and Regional Government Reaffirm Commitment to Work Together, To Find New Synergies in the EU-EaP Format

Speaking on behalf of EaP CSF, Abraham Artashesyan (Communities Finance Officers Association of Armenia) presented the case for enabling environment for citizen participation with local and regional authorities at the CORLEAP Bureau meeting, taking place in Yerevan on 28 March. Most of the discussions revolved around contact exchange across borders and capacity building, as well as learning from shared experiences.

Members Corner

Call for Registration: EaP CSF Database of Experts

Would you like to contribute to the Forum – with your skills, knowledge and expertise, by taking part in EaP Platforms and Panels multilateral meetings? Register in our online experts database and share your expertise with the EU and EaP stakeholders!

Join more than 200 members who have already registered!

Register here (3-5 mins)

Must-read of the Month

2018 WG Re-granting: "Enhancing capacity of National Platforms of EaP CSF to implement gender equality and non-discrimination policies”

One of the outputs from 2018 WG Re-granting project "Increasing Capacity for Implementing Efficient Gender Policy and Practices in Countries of Eastern Partnership – in Accordance to 'Eastern Partnership – 20 Deliverables for 2020'” is an in-depth analysis of gender practices across the region.

This publication is a joint contribution of organisations working on gender issues within EaP CSF National Platforms in all six EaP countries. The aim of this paper is to present national mechanisms to ensure gender equality and provide an overview of different ways of promoting gender equality policies.

Publication – Implementation of gender equality and non-discriminatory policies

Events and Planned Meetings

April

  • 25-26 April: Panel on Organic Agriculture (Tartu, Estonia)
  • 30 April: Panel on Rule of Law (Brussels, Belgium)

May

  • 13 May: Foreign Affairs Ministerial (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 14 May: EaP CSF Public Event: Democracy, Human Rights, Good Governance and Stability (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 14 May: 10th Anniversary of EaP Policy Initiative (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 14-15 May: Working Group 1 Meeting (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 16-17 May: Panel on Trade (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 17 May: Panel on Security, CSDP and Civil Protection (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 17 May: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Workshop (Klaipeda, Lithuania)
  • 20-21 May: Informal AA/DCFTA Trade Ministerial (Kyiv, Ukraine)
  • 21 May: EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 22-24 May: Seminar on CSDP (Tbilisi, Georgia)
  • 27-28 May: Panel on Environment and Climate Change (Vienna, Austria)
  • 29 May: EU4Digital Innovation Workshop (Baku, Azerbaijan)

June

  • 4-5 June: Working Group 2 & 5 Meeting (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 4-5 June: EU4Digital eTrade Workshop
  • 5 June: EaP CSF Public Event: Economic Integration and Convergence with EU Policies – and Social and Labour Policies and Social Dialogue (Brussels, Belgium)
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram

Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Secretariat of the EaP CSF Steering Committee 

Rue de l'Industrie 10
1000 Brussels
Belgium

*This Newsletter was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.