European partnership for democracy, EPD

Community of Democracies debate partnerships in democracy building

The Lithuanian presidency of the Community of Democracies organised a lively and engaging debate in Brussels on Monday 16 November on New Partnerships in Democracy Building. The informal round table meeting was attended by a large number of representatives from the European Parliament, the Commission,  diplomatic missions and civil society organisations, including the foreign ministers of a number of Community of Democracies member states, the President and Vice President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek and Edward McMillan-Scott, directors of the Commission's Directorates General and high-level representatives from the USA and NATO.

The meeting sought to build on the momentum created under the successive Czech and Swedish presidencies of the Council of the European Union, which have been instrumental in bringing about the Council Conclusions on Democracy Support, published 17 November. Accordingly,  the Community of Democracies round table reflected on ways that the EU could achieve greater coherence and effectiveness in the support of democracy building.