Eastern Partnership

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a joint policy initiative launched in 2009, which aims to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union (EU) and its eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

At the 2017 EaP Summit held in Brussels, 20 key deliverables for 2020 were endorsed to support a more result-oriented approach, covering 4 main priorities:

stronger economy (economic development and market opportunities);
stronger governance (strengthening institutions and good governance);
stronger connectivity (connectivity, energy efficiency, environment and climate change);
stronger society (mobility and people-to-people contacts).

Progress achieved in this context was monitored and reported in 2018 and 2020.

On 18 March 2020, the Joint Communication ‘ Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020: Reinforcing Resilience — an Eastern Partnership that delivers for all ’ was adopted, outlining the long-term policy objectives for future cooperation. This is the basis for developing the follow-up agenda to the 20 deliverables for 2020, which is being prepared for the next EaP Summit to be held in Brussels later in 2021.

The EU and its eastern partners have concluded, or are in the process of concluding, bilateral association agendas/partnership priorities through the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The 2015 ENP Review focuses on stabilising the Neighbourhood, a differentiated approach to partner countries and enhanced responsibility for the policy by all those involved.

The Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument 2021-2027 provides financial support to the ENP and has a budget of €19 billion for the Neighbourhood under the geographical pillar alone.