The European Union's Policy towards the Eastern Partnership: Goals, Shortcomings and Challenges.

Details

Supervisors

de Wilde d'Estmael, Tanguy

Faculty

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication

Degree label

Master [60] en sciences politiques, orientation générale

Abstract

The Eastern Partnership was created in 2009 with the goal of ensuring a stable, prosperous and secure Eastern neighbourhood. Since then 9 years have passed, which gives us a ground to analyze the EU’s policy towards the Eastern partners and evaluate its efficiency. Based on the employing primary and secondary data, including the in-depth interviews, the following conclusions have been made: the research showed that since its existence, the EU’s Eastern Partnership progressed well overall, due to the EU's and the Eastern partners’ policies. Progress has been achieved in several areas of the EU’s initial policy, aimed at fostering prosperity, facilitating the democratic governance and ensuring the political stability. Despite the less interest and engagement of both, the EU and its leading member states, towards the Eastern Partnership in comparison of the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership has shown better progress than the latter. The research confirmed that Russia is a significant external factor that puts limit on the EU’s desired policy towards its Eastern Partnership. The EU’s overall success in its policy towards the Eastern Partnership creates a strong ground to further continue it, and gradually deepen the relations, using all possible cooperation avenues and instruments.