EaP CSF Constituent Documents

EaP CSF Strategy 2015-2017

This Strategy of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) for 2015-2017 replaces the previous Concept paper for the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum “An Active Partner in Democratic Transition and European Integration”. 

The Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership four years on: Progress, challenges and prospects

The newly published report by Hrant Kostanyan, an Associate Research Fellow at Centre for European Policy Studies, is the first attempt to conduct an in-depth assessment of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum after four years of its operation. 

The report singles out the institutionalisation and socialisation inculcated among its members as the Forum’s greatest accomplishment. In contrast to Forum’s internal developments, the report argues that the external policy successes of the Forum remain modest.

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The Eastern Partnership Roadmap to the Vilnius Summit - An open road from Vilnius to Riga

THE VILNIUS SUMMIT should mark the launch of a new phase of European integration for all the eastern neighbours of the EU. For Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, there is the prospect of initialling or signature of Association Agreements and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Agreements with the EU. For Azerbaijan, there should also be the signing of visa facilitation and readmission agreements. In the case of Armenia, the substantive progress made in finalising negotiations on the content of an Association Agreement and DCFTA with the EU must be built upon to renew its integration prospects, and engagement with all sectors of society with a view to sustainable democratic development and closer European integration should be a renewed priority in EU relations with Belarus. In the months leading up to the summit, the partner countries have been subjected to the negative diplomatic offensive from the Russian Federation – from imposition of trade embargos to calls for them to join the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. In the case of Armenia, despite the successful conclusion of negotiations with the EU on a DCFTA agreement, on 3 September 2013 President Serzh Sargsyan overturned expectations when he agreed to join the Customs Union. The EU’s active diplomacy towards Ukraine has been a welcome contrast to the negative diplomacy from Moscow, with its threats of cutting Ukraine off from Russian markets, but with the exception of Moldova and Georgia the conditions are not in place in the partner countries for realisation of the ambitions of the Association Agreement. There is far from an open and participatory policymaking process – which will be essential to democratic development and European integration. The European Union also has to make greater efforts towards open government and a firmer commitment across all EU institutions to respect for free and fair elections and promotion of deep democracy in the partner countries.

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Statutes of the Secretariat of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

The Articles of Association of the Secretariat of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum International Non-Profit Association registered in Belgium.

Concept paper for the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum is recognised by the European Commission as a representative forum of civil society organisations from the Eastern Partner countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) and EU civil society organisations active in the Partner countries. The Forum and its organs (national platforms, thematic working groups, and Steering Committee) are recognised as key civil society partners for the European Commission in the framework of EU relations with the Eastern Partner countries, and with regard to the EU's commitment to support civil society actors in the Partner countries and to engage them as essential partners in democratic development.

A STRATEGIC ROADMAP FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

This background paper is a collection of perspectives on the Eastern Partnership and the role of the civil society forum and its future directions. It has been put together as food for thought for the participants at the Poznan forum meeting on 28-30 November, and to add some context to the debates around the future structures, priorities and overall strategy of the Forum. It is not designed to be a consistent set of contributions, nor is it a document that the Forum will be asked to endorse, nor to adopt. Its purpose is to provide context for thedebate and deliberations of the Forum participants.

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