EaP Bulletin No 18. Message from West to Eastern Europe: beware an Omicron tsunami
The Omicron variant has exploded in West Europe, and with a time lag of just a few weeks spreads throughout Eastern Europe. While much more infectious than the earlier Covid-19s, it is less lethal.
Top 5 advances and challenges in the EaP in 2021: pro-EU resilience and new sources of regional instability
During 2021, developments within the Eastern Partnership (EaP) have shown that democratic prospects are still something available in the region. The reformist political forces continued to enjoy the confidence of the people to the extent necessary…
Post-COVID-19 crisis: the current and the future impact on Ukraine's economy?
The impact of COVID-19 on Ukraine's economy is twofold. On the one hand, it had clear short-term negative economic consequences, primarily in 2020. Real GDP declined due to a sharp drop in gross fixed capital formation as investment…
EaP Bulletin No 17: The Tragic, Deadly Vax-scepticism in Eastern Europe
Since our last Bulletin of June four months ago, much of the world has been hit by the severe 3rd wave of infections. In Europe, however, there has been a deep contrast between West and East.
Deepening EU-Moldovan Relations: Updating and upgrading in the shadow of Covid-19. Third edition.
This Handbook, now in its third edition, represents the most comprehensive and independent assessment of the Association Agreement and Deep and…
Deepening EU-Georgian Relations: Updating and upgrading in the shadow of Covid-19. Third edition.
This Handbook, now in its third edition, represents the most comprehensive and independent assessment of the Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Georgia. It is one of a Trilogy of…
Deepening EU-Ukrainian Relations: Updating and upgrading in the shadow of Covid-19. Third edition.
This Handbook, now in its third edition, represents the most comprehensive and independent assessment of the Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Ukraine. It is one of a Trilogy of…
The Struggle for Good Governance in Eastern Europe
At a time when many regions of the world, Europe included, see a resurgence of authoritarianism, several countries in Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, are struggling to counter this trend by developing European-style democracies. In…
Joint letter of civil society representatives to the leaders of the EU on vaccine needs of the EU’s Neighbourhood
Joint letter of civil society representatives to the leaders of the European Union on vaccine needs of the EU’s Neighbourhood
EaP Bulletin No 16: Vaccination Emergency in Eastern Europe
Covid-19 vaccines contracted and administered by the EU
With Russia threatening Ukraine with war, what should the EU do?
Russia’s threat of war with Ukraine, whether for real, for show, or for some undetermined mix of the two, demands a powerful response. While the military-strategic aspect has to be left to the US/NATO, the EU can respond on the basis of its own…
Remarks by Michael Emerson at the Ninth Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Ninth Ordinary Session, 20 April 2021
"Sputnik V" at the EU border and Russia's targets in Moldova
The continuing deterioration of bilateral relations between the EU and Russia paralyzes, with cumulative effect, the mutual trust. The ongoing destabilization of security in Eastern Europe (particularly in Ukraine) by the Russian factor keeps…
Joint letter of civil society representatives to the leaders of the EU the vaccination in Eastern Europe
Baku, Brussels, Chisinau, Kyiv, Minsk, Tbilisi, Yerevan – 2 April 2021 To: H.E.…
Post-COVID-19 crisis: what will the Moldovan economy look like?
COVID-19 left a rather deep footprint on the Moldovan economy, although the 7% GDP reduction suffered in 2020 was partly due to the impact of the drought. The vulnerability of the Moldovan economy to such complex and intertwined crises…
EaP Bulletin No 15: And now for vaccination
While third waves of infections have been continuing in much of Europe, maximum efforts are now being made to assure mass vaccination as the only way to stop the pandemic. Among major…
COVID-19 lessons for Moldova: strengthening the country’s immunity system in the face of new crises
EaP Bulletin No 14: From Trump to Biden in the eyes of Eastern Europe (and the European Union)
This webinar was conducted on 27 January 2021, one week after Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States. Independent experts from the six Eastern…
EaP COVID-19 Bulletin No 13: Devastating acceleration of COVID-19 across the whole of Europe
The global pandemic charges on. In the two and a half months, from the end of September to mid-December, the world total number of infections more than doubled to 72 million, with deaths rising to 1.6 million.
EaP Bulletin No 12: Eastern Europe, between democracy and conflict
A special webinar was held on 6 November 2020, given the exceptional ongoing events in all six East European states, namely elections in four of them - in Belarus already in August, Ukraine on 25 October,…
EaP COVID-19 Bulletin No 11: Adverse developments in Eastern Europe, in the shadow of the Coronavirus second wave hitting the EU
The global pandemic charges on. In the two months August and September the world total number of infections doubled to 32 million, with deaths passing the 1 million mark. In…
EaP COVID-19 Bulletin No 10: A lot happened in August 2020
August is meant to be a sleepy month when little happens, especially in Europe. This was not true this year, as the Covid-19 raged on, worldwide and in each world region except for…
The Hot August in Belarus: Post-election Dynamics and Policy Options
This policy paper addresses the most acute political issues that now follow the August 9, 2020 presidential election in Belarus, a member of EU’s Eastern Partnership and one of Russia’s partners in Eurasian integration.
EaP CSF COVID-19 Briefing Paper: lessening the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has led most governments to impose restrictive measures. As a result, economies in the Eastern Partnership have been hit hard. Even though actions to mitigate the economic impact have been taken by governments, such as tax relief,…
EaP COVID-19 Bulletin No 9: EU, global and neighbourhood regional comparisons
Now as many people make their summer holiday break, and with half a year’s experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s time to take stock of the big picture - with the aid of a…
The Advent of Biopolitics: Repercussion for the EU, Russia, and Eastern Partnership Countries
The COVID-19 had significantly changed the structure of world politics by shifting its core from issues of geopolitics to what in the academic literature for quite some time has been known as global biopolitics. As a concept,…
EaP CSF COVID-19 Briefing Paper: fundamental rights and freedoms during the COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has become a litmus test for even the most advanced democracies, prompting societies to discuss their fundamental rights concerns. Civil society in all 6 Eastern Partnership countries has been vocal on a series of concerns related…
EaP COVID-19 Bulletin No 8: Political impacts of COVID-19
As to the political implications of the coronavirus pandemic, as Chou en Lai is reputed to have said of the French Revolution, “it’s too early to say”. Yet still we should try. The…
MENA COVID-19 Bulletin No 4: Pandemic Politics
The past two weeks saw a surge in infection rates in Algeria, Morocco and Libya, while the situation continues to be worrisome in Egypt. As in Europe, fears for new outbreaks or waves are widespread in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood, especially now…
EaP COVID-19 Bulletin No 7: Economic and social impacts
All the Eastern Partnership states, with the exception of Georgia, see disturbingly high rates of new infections and deaths, contrasting with both Western Europe and the Balkan states where the peaks have passed. Belarus, Moldova and…
Southeast Europe COVID-19 Bulletin No 4: Pandemic Politics
In this 4th and final Bulletin before the summer, we focus on the latest developments with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic in the region, and the impact it has had on the overall political environment within each country, many of whom are…
MENA COVID-19 Bulletin No 3: Foreign Aid
In this third bulletin, we provide an update on the latest developments in the rates of infection and mortality in the region, the general easing of restrictions, as well as the range and extent of international assistance. Overall,…
Southeast Europe COVID-19 Bulletin No 3: International Chessboard
In this third bulletin, we provide an update on the latest developments on the rates of infection and mortality arising out of the pandemic in the region, the general easing of restrictions, as well as the range and extent of international assistance. As…
COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate impact on the Ukrainian economy
The Covid-19 pandemic has already inflicted severe damage on the Ukrainian economy despite relatively mild public health implications so far. The number of new Covid-19 cases seems to have stabilized over the last few weeks, and the…
MENA COVID-19 Bulletin No 2: Exit Strategies and Economic Recovery
In this second bulletin, we review the latest data on the Covid–19 pandemic in the Middle East and North Africa, the general easing of restrictions, the economic impact so far and recovery measures. As most EU member states are gradually…
COVID-19 Bulletin No 6: COVID-19 in the Separatist Conflict Regions
All the Eastern Partnership states, with the exception of Georgia, now see disturbingly high rates of new infections and deaths, contrasting with both EU and Balkan states where the peaks have passed. Belarus still sees no preventive…
Southeast Europe COVID-19 Bulletin No 2: Exit Strategies and Economic Recovery
In this second bulletin, we review the latest data on the Covid–19 pandemic in the Western Balkans and Turkey, the general easing of restrictions, the economic impact so far and recovery measures.
MENA COVID-19 Bulletin No 1: Domestic Medical Situation and Social Responses
While Europe swiftly became one of the epicenters of the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU's Southern Neighbourhood has so far been less affected. The largest number of infections and deaths have been counted in Egypt, Morocco and Algeria,…
European Union Competition Policy during and beyond the Corona Crisis: Key Takeaways for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia
The COVID-19 outbreak is a dire public health emergency. At the same time, the economic impact of the corona crisis cannot be overlooked. To temper the economic turmoil, the European Union (EU) has swiftly adapted its competition framework…
COVID-19 Bulletin No 5: Strategies for Unwinding the Lockdowns
The range of experience among the six Eastern Partnership countries becomes more marked. While Georgia has confirmed its success in avoiding large scale infections, Belarus has…
Southeast Europe COVID-19 Bulletin No 1: Domestic Medical Situation and Social Responses
While the European Union has become the epicentre of the global Covid-19 crisis, the countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North…
A post-Coronavirus Narrative for the Eastern Partnership
The coronavirus crisis, and the ‘Green Deal’ and digital agendas that will be resumed as soon as the pandemic subsides, are transformational shocks to the EU and its relations with its close neighbours. These shocks could become the…
COVID-19 Bulletin No 4: External Aid
This edition of the Bulletin is dedicated to external aid provided to the Eastern Partnership six. From the notes supplied by the country experts, the following points…
COVID-19 Bulletin No 3
We have now established a team from the six Eastern Partnership states and the EU to monitor the evolution of the COVID-19 crisis. In this Bulletin we present comparative summaries…
The EU’s existential crisis, averted with compromise, for today
Since my contribution to the paper on 8 April ended with the EU facing a huge existential choice, to be resolved the following day,…
EU’s anti-Covid-19 support for Eastern neighbors – on the basis of what criteria?
As part of its global response to the Covid-19 crisis, the EU’s has announced a package…
Which spreads faster in the EU’s neighbourhood: Coronavirus or disinformation?
The European External Action Service (EEAS), in its special reports on disinformation around Coronavirus has revealed the unprecedented volumes of disinformation hitting the EU’s neighbourhood. The EEAS reports rely on the EUvsDisinfo…
The Covid-19 Shock to the Global and European Economy
I am old enough to recall quite a few global macroeconomic shocks. The first was when Nixon suspended the gold convertibility of the dollar in 1971. Next came the big oil shocks of 1973 and again in 1979. Then the fall of the Berlin…
COVID-19 Bulletin No 2
This Bulletin presents the basic data for infections and deaths from the Covid-19 for the six Eastern Partnership (EaP) states in the international context, based mainly on the data base maintained in real time at…
The COVID-19 test for Ukraine
The Ukrainian authorities started to react to COVID-19 pandemic relatively late due to the internal political crisis resulting in Prime Minister Honcharuk’s resignation on the…
COVID-19 Bulletin No 1
While the EU has become the epicentre of the global Covid-19 crisis, the three AA states – Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – have so far remained remarkably lightly affected. This is in spite of the fact that all three countries have large…