The EaP CSF Pavel Sheremet Award was established in 2016 in order to recognize courage in journalism and outstanding achievement in the cause of media freedom in the Eastern Partnership region. This award honours Pavel Sheremet, an acclaimed critic of authoritarian leaders, who was killed in a car bomb explosion in 2016, for his exceptional contribution to the promotion of human rights and freedom of speech. Given that freedom of the media in the Eastern Partnership countries has been deteriorating in the past years, its importance cannot be overestimated. Accordingly, for the second time, the award will recognize outstanding reporting on injustice and human rights abuses.

• Dovilė Šukytė, Acting Director, Eastern Europe Studies Centre, Co-Chair, EaP CSF Steering Committee, Lithuania

The Civil Society Declaration to the 5th EaP Summit, developed in a collaborative way through multi-level consultations among civil society before the event and discussed during the event, identifies the major problematic issues blocking the democratic development of the EaP societies as well as smooth implementation of the 20 Deliverables for 2020; it offers specific recommendations addressing these issues. The text of the declaration will be voted by the event participants.

• Marija Golubeva, EaP CSF Steering Committee, Latvia

The high-level debate will address the expectations and recommendations of civil society towards the EaP Summit as well as the implementation process of the 20 Deliverables for 2020. The panellists and participants will reflect on and further develop the ideas on how to improve civil society partnership with policy stakeholders and how civil society can do more to support effective implementation of the EaP policy after the 5th EaP Summit presented on Day 1. In particular, moderators will pose questions raised by the Civil Society Declaration to the panellists.

Panelists:

• Helga Schmid, Secretary General, EEAS/Thomas Mayr-Harting, Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia, EEAS (TBC)
• Katarina Mathernová, Deputy Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission (TBC)
• Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Vice-Prime Minister for European Integration, Ukraine (TBC)
• Oleg Kravchenko, Deputy Foreign Minister, Belarus (TBC)
• Elsa Tulmets, Centre Marc Bloch, Germany (TBC)

Moderators: Iulian Groza, Director, Institute for European Policies and Reforms, Moldova and Marija Golubeva, EaP CSF Steering Committee, Latvia

These debates with a multi-country focus on specific policy issues defined as civil society priorities will bring together information, ideas and recommendations from the public policy stakeholders and from the civil society. At the same time, the aim of these sessions is to deliver a message and the Civil Society Declaration recommendations to the stakeholders on how the civil society can contribute effectively to the implementation of the related 20 Deliverables for 2020 agenda in the near future.

1. Creating links for tangible results:  Rule of Law and Resilience in the EaP countries (WG1)
   How will the EU continue supporting the democratisation and institutional resilience of the EaP countries after the 5th EaP summit (i.e. fight against corruption, justice sector reform, developing institutional capacities and other concrete capabilities)? How to proceed with linking the rule of law and good governance to the overall security and resilience of these states? How to apply effective conditionality to the rule of law? How can public diplomacy be used to better explain the link between rule of law and resilience? How can the EaP CSF and its National Platforms better support the implementation of the rule of law agenda in the six EaP countries?
2. Jointly developing the favourable environment for SMEs in the EaP countries (WG2)
   How to promote benefits of entrepreneurship in the region? How to jointly encourage the EaP citizens, especially women and youth, to implement their business ideas? How the EaP governments, civil society and the EU should cooperate on promotion of entrepreneurial spirit and of tailored tools for small entrepreneurs?
3. What next after the Luxembourg Declaration: challenges and prospect for the implementation of the Action Plan for the Environment (WG3)
   How can the EU, EaP governments and the civil society better cooperate on the implementation of the Luxembourg Declaration and its Action Plan? How can they jointly work towards improved environmental governance by 2020 by bringing more transparency, participation, accountability, effectiveness and better functioning institutions?
4. Challenges and opportunities for the EaP youth after the 5th EaP Summit: how to support youth employment and entrepreneurship?  (WG4)
   How can the EaP governments, EU and civil society cooperate in the field of youth employability? How to better support both theoretical and practical methods in the education process with the option of combining studies with work experience, volunteering or internships? How to promote the entrepreneurial spirit and encourage young people to implement their business ideas?

These debates focus on country-specific priority issues, as defined by civil society organisations in each EaP country, in order to advance civil society partnership with the EaP governments and EU stakeholders to improve the implementation of the 20 Deliverables for 2020 and the agenda stemming from the bilateral agreements with the EU.   

1. Armenia — Role of the civil society in the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
   To what extent can the implementation of CEPA compensate for the lost momentum in deepening the EU-Armenia relations after the 2013 U-turn, and how to reinvigorate the bilateral cooperation at this stage? How the EU and Armenian government see the role and contribution of the civil society in the implementation of CEPA? What is the communication and public awareness raising strategy for promoting the priorities and benefits of CEPA, and what mission is envisaged for the Armenian civil society in this process?
2. Azerbaijan — Update on the negotiations of the new EU-Azerbaijan Agreement and the role of  the civil society
   What is the role of civil society in decision-making process and in negotiations between the EU and Azerbaijan on the new agreement? What is the prospect of EU-Azerbaijan relations in the area of economic integration? Is there an opportunity for DCFTA?
3. Belarus – EU-Belarus Partnership Priorities and the role of the civil society
   Approach to and expectations from the EU and Belarusian authorities regarding process of agreement on Partnership Priorities? Why are they needed, which areas of cooperation will they cover and how and when the negotiations will be completed? What new will Partnership Priorities bring into EU-Belarus relations? What else is required to improve bilateral relations? How PP affect Eastern Partnership process and agenda? How the EU and Belarus government see the role and place of civil society actors in the process of implementation of Partnership Priorities? Should (can) civil society be adviser, monitor, partner, assessor etc. of PP implementation?
4. Georgia — Constitutional Reform and Civil Society Contribution
   What are the main changes introduced to the Georgian Constitution with the latest reform and how are they perceived by different political actors in the country? What are the consequences for the political landscape? How to further enhance the civil society’s participation and influence in the negotiation process? What has been the role of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and how was its opinion reflected in the shaping of the reform?
5. Moldova — Implementation of the reforms and government — civil society relations
   What are the results of the reforms implemented in line with AA/DCFTA (justice reforms, electoral reforms)? What are the major issues hindering the cooperation of the civil society and the government? What are the major obstacles for the CSOs to perform their role and how to address them?
6. Ukraine — 20 Deliverables for 2020 — Ukrainian Perspective
   20 Deliverables for 2020 as a basis for cooperation between the government and civil society in Ukraine. How do 20 deliverables complement the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement? EaP CSF National platform and EU-Ukraine Civil society platform — partners in advancing European integration of Ukraine: joint activity, different tasks

The EaP CSF participants from each EaP country elect a Country Facilitator/National Platform Coordinator for a one-year term in accordance with the EaP CSF Statute. The elected person will coordinate the respective National Platform and ensure the link between the NP and the EaP CSF Steering Committee.

For the third time, the EaP CSF Steering Committee awards the three best projects funded through the EaP CSF Re-granting Scheme. Through the Scheme, the EaP CSF supports projects of the EaP CSF members with a regional dimension that contribute to achieving the mission and objectives of the Forum. The donors of the Scheme are the European Union and National Endowment for Democracy. The session will be finished with conclusions of the day and announcement what is still to be accomplished on Day 2 and 3.

• Diana Jablonska/Vassilis Maragos, DG NEAR
• Joanna Rohozinska, Senior Programme Officer, NED

Moderator: Věra Řiháčková, Advocacy and Membership Manager, EaP CSF Secretariat

The EaP CSF participants in plenary elect up to two EU Coordinators from representatives of the EU civil society already elected as WG Coordinators for a one-year term in accordance with the EaP CSF Statute. The elected persons will represent the EU civil society in the Steering Committee, strengthen advocacy towards the EU institutions and member states, and foster greater engagement of the EU civil society in the Eastern Partnership process. 

• EaP Index side event