Session II: Life after Association: In Search of a Greater Purpose

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is “developed without prejudice to individual partner countries' aspirations for their future relationship with the European Union.” At the end of its first decade, EaP is often considered one of the EU’s most successful foreign policy initiatives. However, the EU’s failure to grant its associated partners a perspective of accession mitigates the positive impact of the policy. Under these circumstances, the EU and the EaP partners need to think creatively about how to develop the EaP further as a driver of democratic consolidation and modernisation in Eastern Europe.

How can we advance the implementation of Association Agreements and, hence, facilitate political and economic reform in the partner countries? What happens when an EaP partner fulfils a substantial part of the Association Agreement?