The EU' s Eastern Partnership: One year backwards. FRIDE.
In May 2009, the EU launched the Eastern Partnership, a new policy to bring its Eastern neighbours closer and transform their economies and societies. The initiative was timely in the face of the worsening political, economic and security situation in the region.
This paper analyses the EU’s performance and its potential as a transformative power in the region, as perceived by the Eastern partners themselves. It appears that European efforts to encourage reform will continue to be unsuccessful. The incentives offered by the Eastern Partnership are insufficient.
Authoritarian regimes such as Azerbaijan and Belarus do not want to change; they simply seek the economic benefits of cooperation with the EU. However, the European Union can make a change in countries struggling for democracy and EU membership such as Ukraine or Moldova; but so far, the Eastern Partnership has not offered these countries what they aspire to. A strategic EU vision for its periphery remains elusive.
http://www.fride.org/publicacion/764/the-eu'-s-eas
tern-partnership:-one-year-backwards