EU Foreign/Security Policy and Eastern Partnership

A proposal good enough to end the dispute over the name of the 'former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia'?

by Zhidas Daskalovski
Centre for Research and Policy Making/PASOS

European Voice - 10.12.2009

In association with PASOS, the Institute of Public Affairs (ISP), Poland, has authored a policy paper, Partners in Eastern Promise: A chance for Polish-Czech co-operation Forging Synergies within the Framework of the EU Eastern Partnership initiative, setting out a set of policy recommendations for enhanced co-operation between Poland and the Czech Republic to strengthen progress on the Eastern Partnership initiative

Commentary by Tetiana Polyvana, analyst at the International Centre for Policy Studies (ICPS), Ukraine, on the Eastern Partnership civil society forum, which took place in Brussels on 17 November 2009 (in English and below in Ukrainian)

How justified is disillusionment with Georgia?

By George Tarkhan-Mouravi, in association with PASOS

European Voice - 13.11.2009 / 07:00 CET

Six years ago on 2 November, Georgians went to the polls in what would prove to be a vote profoundly marred by fraud. Twenty days later, on 22 November, a dam of public protest broke and supporters of the opposition entered parliament, carrying roses, to prevent a compromised legislature taking office. Since then, the hopes and expectations of the Rose Revolution have blossomed and faded. Six years after the revolution, how justified is the disillusionment?

PASOS, backed by 13 independent policy centres spanning the Eastern Partnership countries and EU member-states, calls upon the European Commission to timetable a session on Support to Strengthen Independent Monitoring and Policy Analysis by Eastern Partnership Country Think-Tanks at the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum meeting, to be held in Brussels on 16-17 November 2009.The recommendations, submitted by PASOS on 1 November 2009, also include the proposal for a session at the civil society forum meeting on the Establishment of an Eastern Partnership Web Portal, with content driven by civil society from the Eastern Partnership members

The latest issue of Europe's World features a special report on "Overcoming the Crisis".

PASOS is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Europe's World

According to the Civil Society Defense Committee in Azerbaijan, the amendments “contradict the realisation of the right to freedom of association envisaged in the country’s Constitution, conventions on human rights that our country is party to, obligations undertaken before the Council of Europe and OSCE, the entire philosophy of civil society, and the goal of the ‘Non-governmental Organizations State Support Concept’ signed by President Ilham Aliyev on 13 December 2007.”

PASOS urges European Commission and forthcoming Swedish EU Presidency to strengthen the political mandate and technical expertise available to the EC delegation in Moldova and the office of the EU Special Representative to Moldova, and to make this a core element of the Eastern Partnership agreement between the EU and Moldova.

Three policy papers - on alternative energy and energy efficiency in Serbia and Kyrgyzstan, and the role of energy efficiency in EU energy relations with Russia - look at the scope for placing alternative energy at the heart of European international development policy.

Recommendations from six workshops submitted to country delegations at the Eastern Partnership summit of 7 May

Roadmap launched by Moldovan think-tanks and human rights groups

The crisis in Moldova continues. To help the country, the EU must pay more attention – and sustain its attention.

By Igor Munteanu, in association with PASOS

European Voice - 01.05.2009 / 11:58 CET

The call, issued through letters to Javier Solana and the Czech presidency of the EU Council in response to the deteriorating political situation in Moldova, follows ultimata delivered to civil society groups in Moldova by tax authorities, demanding financial reports of all sources of revenue (the recipients of summons included Amnesty International Moldova as well as IDIS "Viitorul", Institute for Public Policy, and ADEPT, three PASOS members who took part in Coalition 2009, the coalition of non-governmental organisations that monitored the elections of 5 April 2009).

PASOS submission to European Commission (EC) recommends that the focus and representation of the civil society forum should reflect the prioritisation of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, and in each partner country there should be a civil society forum for each thematic platform, a strengthening of EC delegations, and funding for monitoring of implementation of partnership agreements,

Igor Munteanu, member of the PASOS Board of Directors and Executive Director of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives Viitorul, Moldova, briefed a Brussels audience about the latest developments in the post-election crisis in Moldova.

PASOS urges European Commission, Council of EU, and Czech EU Presidency to work for peaceful, democratic solution to political and civil crisis in Moldova

The latest issue of Europe's World (PASOS serves as an Editorial Advisory Board member of Europe's World)

The spring 2009 issue of Europe's World is now available on the website.

Experts from Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia presented in Brussels the main findings and recommendations of a PASOS/European Institute study on EC Roadmaps on visa liberalisation in the Western Balkans.

The presentation was hosted at the Open Society Institute Brussels on 5 March 2009. The leading expert of the project, Nadya Dimitrova (European Institute, Bulgaria), together with country reporters - Sanja Kostovska (Center for Research and Policy Making, Macedonia) and Ditmir Bushati (Institute for Contemporary Studies, Albania) - presented their findings to representatives of the European Commission Directorate of Enlargement, as well as to the representatives of the Western Balkans missions to the EU.

PASOS supports appeal by Czech non-governmental organisations dedicated to protecting human rights in the world to Czech authorities to reconsider the invitation of the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to the EU Eastern Partnership Summit in Prague.

From "Fortress Europe" to "Europe without Barriers"? Priorities of the Czech Presidency in EU External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives
A PASOS/EUROPEUM Conference under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic
Cernin Palace, Prague, 20 October 2008

From "Fortress Europe" to "Europe without Barriers"? Priorities of the Czech Presidency in EU External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives
A PASOS/EUROPEUM Conference under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic
Cernin Palace, Prague, 20 October 2008

From "Fortress Europe" to "Europe without Barriers"? Priorities of the Czech Presidency in EU External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives
A PASOS/EUROPEUM Conference under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic
Cernin Palace, Prague, 20 October 2008

From "Fortress Europe" to "Europe without Barriers"? Priorities of the Czech Presidency in EU External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives
A PASOS/EUROPEUM Conference under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic
Cernin Palace, Prague, 20 October 2008

From "Fortress Europe" to "Europe without Barriers"? Priorities of the Czech Presidency in EU External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives
A PASOS/EUROPEUM Conference under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic
Cernin Palace, Prague, 20 October 2008

From "Fortress Europe" to "Europe without Barriers"? Priorities of the Czech Presidency in EU External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives
A PASOS/EUROPEUM Conference under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic
Cernin Palace, Prague, 20 October 2008

A ground-breaking PASOS study into the democracy assistance policies of the Visegrad Four countries, with a focus on four target countries - Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, and Ukraine

From 'Fortress Europe' to 'Europe without Barriers',
Priorities of the Czech Presidency in External Relations: Transatlantic Perspectives, Prague, Czech Repubic, 20 October 2008 - A trans-Atlantic think-tanks' meeting held under the auspices of the Czech Foreign Ministry, in conjunction with the PASOS annual meeting (19 October 2008)

(13.15-13.45: Launch of Democracy’s New Champions, a PASOS study into the democracy assistance policies, spending, and geographical priorities of the Visegrad Four countries, with focus target countries: Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, and Ukraine)

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kyiv, Ukraine,

No. 26 (418), 8 September 2008

(in English and in Ukrainian)

Considering the important changes appearing in the context of international relations, Moldova should thoroughly and comprehensively analyse the significance of these developments, assess their impact on its interests and make necessary adjustments to its foreign and domestic policies, argue represetnatives of the community of foreign and security policy experts from the Republic of Moldova. This statement results from a series of consultations among the undersigned experts.

Call of the civil society representatives upon the Governments in Ankara, Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan to open the Turkish-Armenian border at least for 10-15 days to address the urgency in the Caucasus

Without concerted political will to act strategically and decisively, even the Lisbon treaty's institutional reforms will not give the EU the coherence to contain, let alone confront, a resurgent Russia.

By Jacek Kucharczyk, in association with PASOS

European Voice - 21.08.2008 / 13:45 CET

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kyiv, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

a publication of the International Centre for Policy Studies, Kiev, Ukraine
(in English and in Ukrainian)

Transitions Online, Analysis, 5 February 2008

As the new Polish government seeks a pragmatic relationship with Russia, it is looking to friends old and new for help, writes Jacek Kucharczyk, Research Director of the Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw, in conjunction with PASOS.

The way in which the EU addresses visa relations with Belarus could well prove to be one of the most important matters concerning the future of Belarus and its citizens, argues a policy brief, prepared by the Association for International Affairs (AMO), Czech Republic, and the Stefan Batory Foundation, Poland. Freedom of travel is a fundamental issue for future relations between the EU and its neighbours in general, according to the paper, which is supported by Václav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic, Aleksander Kwaśniewski, former President of Poland, and Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland.

published, 2-6 January 2008, in Die Welt (attached) and dozens of other media outlets across the world

Georgia’s recent protests and resulting government clampdown have dealt a blow to its international reputation as a new democracy, and pose a challenge to both Georgia and the European Union. Claiming that the protests were part of a conspiracy to bring down the government masterminded by a Russian-Georgian tycoon, Badri Patarkatsishvili, President Mikheil Saakashvili closed down the main opposition-leaning private TV company, Imedi (owned by Mr Patarkatsishvili), and introduced a state of emergency, which lasted for nine days, before announcing that presidential elections would take place on January 5.

Transitions Online, Commentary, 21 December 2007 - All Aboard the Schengen Express

The expansion on 21 December of the Schengen border-free zone is great news for the citizens and residents of the European Union’s new member states. For other Europeans, however, it means that the wall dividing them from their lucky EU neighbors will become even higher and more difficult to climb, writes Jacek Kucharczyk, Research Director of the Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw, in conjunction with PASOS.

Ukraine and European NGOs appeal to the EU and Ukraine's government to fully implement new visa agreement and secure further visa liberalisation.

The latest issue of Europe's World includes from the PASOS network the commentary by Lena Kolarska-Bobinska, Director of the Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw, on A European “identity” is no answer to the EU’s ills by UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis.

The role of the EU Presidency in setting strategy and new approaches to strengthening democracy on the EU's eastern borders will be the subject of the opening plenaries at the annual PASOS international think-tanks' conference, which takes place at the Humboldt-Viadrina School of Governance/Berlin Civil Society Centre in Berlin on 1-3 November 2007.

Leading policymakers and thinkers from think-tanks across Europe and Central Asia will gather for the meeting, Common Foreign Can Strategic Thinking Provide New Impetus towards Democratic Reform and Stability in the EU's Eastern Neighbours?

For the latest version of the agenda, click here.

On 2 October, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) was launched by 50 founding signatories to promote a more coherent and vigorous European foreign policy in support of Europe's common interests and shared values. Among the fifty founding members are former prime ministers, presidents, European commissioners, current and former parliamentarians and ministers, public intellectuals, and cultural figures from EU member states and candidate countries – including Martti Ahtisaari, Giuliano Amato, Emma Bonino, Jean-Luc Dehaene, Joschka Fischer, Timothy Garton Ash, Bronislaw Geremek, Mart Laar, Chris Patten, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, as well as music producer Brian Eno, architect Rem Koolhaas, and author Elif Shafak. The Executive Director of ECFR is Mark Leonard.

PASOS members react to EU Council decision ( European Voice, 4 May 2006)

PASOS reacts to EU Council decision to raise Schengen visa fees
(EU votes through visa price hike plan, EUobserver, 27 April 2006)