On 28 March 2019, the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair at the Natolin campus of the College of Europe organised an international conference, entitled:
"The Eastern Partnership 10 Years after the Prague Summit: In Search of New Momentum"
2019 marks the tenth anniversary of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) — an EU initiative that is destined to strengthen and deepen relations between the EU and the six EaP countries, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and foster bi- and multi-lateral cooperation around the four thematic platforms:
- democracy, good governance and stability;
- economic integration and convergence with EU sectoral policies;
- energy security;
- people-to-people contacts.
Ten years after the inauguration of the EaP, the EU’s eastern neighbourhood is still a far cry from having become an area of shared democracy, prosperity, stability and increased cooperation: in recent years, democratic reforms in EaP countries have slowed down, are reversed or continue to be absent; territorial conflicts persist; most EaP countries are still suffering from the violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and they are exposed to competing economic integration projects. In turn, the EU is faced with the challenge of fragmentation and even disintegration, as well as with a growing ‘EaP fatigue’.
Against this backdrop, it has become apparent that the EaP is in dire need of new momentum. This international conference, bringing together leading academics, think tankers, opinion shapers, EU officials and diplomats, was poised to provide a platform to critically assess the EaP’s past performance and discuss the framework’s future orientation and focus.
The detailed programme of the conference can be found here. Videos from all the panels are available on our Youtube channel and below:
Picture gallery:
