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Author: Maxence

“The Index spotlights important issues often sidestepped”

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The Eastern Partnership (EaP) Index is the civil society-led monitoring tool, developed by the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. It is grounded in input from experts in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

The EaP Index uses a comprehensive methodology covering 14 policy areas, tracks progress on Sustainable Development Goals and includes an analysis of gender-related issues in the region.

The Eastern Partnership Index has gained notable visibility over the years. What sets it apart from other similar tools?

Kerry Longhurst: The EaP Index stands out due to its comprehensive and interdisciplinary design which tracks political, economic, social, and institutional developments across all six Eastern Partnership countries. Another defining feature is its unique civil society-driven approach. With local experts contributing directly to the gathering and analysis of data, the Index is assuredly credible and relevant. Moreover, the Index isn’t just analytical; it is solidly policy-oriented. The findings and recommendations directly inform EU policy on enlargement and future Eastern Partnership strategies.

How would you assess the impact of the Index so far?

Kerry Longhurst: Each edition proved to be a timely diagnostic tool and comparative measure to gauge the six EaP states’ alignment with EU laws, norms, and policies. The Index makes a particularly important impact by spotlighting the kinds of issues that are important to civil society, but which often get sidestepped in official governmental or EU reporting. Furthermore, the EaP Index presents salient case studies and recommendations which create focal points for policy development and innovation for the EU, national authorities and civil society.   

Just as importantly, the creation of the EaP Index has fostered a ‘community of practice’, in the form of a network of like-minded regional experts and stakeholders who are collectively invested in democratic development and European integration.

The Index makes a particularly important impact by spotlighting the kinds of issues that are important to civil society, but which often get sidestepped in official governmental or EU reporting.

Can you share some highlights from the 2025 edition?

Kerry Longhurst: Certainly. The following findings stand out this year:

  1. The EU enlargement dynamic is on track: The candidate states are edging closer to EU laws, norms and policies despite inclement geopolitical conditions. Both Moldova and Ukraine improved their scores in the spheres of democratic rights, state accountability and independent media, which reflects a positive shift towards meeting the EU’s conditionality in some of the most demanding negotiation clusters.
  2. Armenia has secured third place in the Index: This has ‘re-set’ the previous Index pattern of results and is testimony to Armenia’s positive alignment with the EU, which is backed by the democratic fortitude of the country’s civil society. Though significant gaps in Armenia’s performance persist, the country is evidently well on the way to securing itself an EU future.     
  3. Connectivity Gains: Most EaP countries have improved their physical connectivity with the EU and for some of them with their neighbours too. This includes more joint border operations, upgraded transport links, and harmonised customs and border systems in line with EU standards. Though much more needs to be done, progress in this area bodes well for trade and people to people contacts. The steady rise of connectivity shows that the EU and portions of the EaP region are ‘growing together’.
  4. Georgia’s Democratic Decline: The ruling party’s dismantling of democracy and palpable de-Europeanisation is strongly reflected in the country’s Index performance. Though its overall score did not alter, the country’s performance in human rights, state accountability, independent media, fundamental freedoms, judicial independence and the fight against corruption declined sharply, which illustrates a massive regression from core EU norms. At the same time, civil society in Georgia remains stridently pro-EU and has become a powerful vanguard of democracy.
  5. Trade vs. Business Environment: While trade volumes with the EU remain robust, structural weaknesses persist. Many EaP states continue to struggle with shadow economies, poor labour protections, and limited business reforms, all of which hamper sustainable growth, labour protections and tax revenue potential.

The Index includes a gender dimension. Why is that important, and what does it reveal?

Kerry Longhurst: Gender equality is a core principle of democratic governance, which also means that democratic backsliding has a gendered dimension. In an EaP context gender equality is also a core ingredient of resilience building and society’s capacity to ‘bounce forwards’ in its development. With this in mind, the EaP Index attempts to consider gender across all of its core themes and thus resists treating it as a ‘side dish’. The 2025 findings show that despite gains in education and health, systemic barriers often mean that gender gaps persist in political participation levels, legal rights, the work place, access to energy, and unpaid work in the home. In both EU and EaP settings, change is not as swift as it needs to be. The EaP Index shows that all stakeholders need to identify the ‘intersectional’ sources of gender gaps and come up with novel solutions and remedies to benefit society as a whole. The EU accession process should be taken as an opportunity to reinforce gender equality norms across the EU Acquis. 

Kerry Longhurst is the Executive Editor of the Eastern Partnership Index 2025.

Additional resources

The full Eastern Partnership Index 2025 will be made available on our dedicated webpage on 26 June 2025: https://eap-csf.eu/what-we-do/eap-index/

Georgia’s Foreign Agents Law: A Grave Threat to Democracy

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The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) Steering Committee strongly condemns the entry into force of Georgia’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA law) on May 31, 2025. This repressive law is a further escalation in the ruling Georgian Dream party’s campaign to suppress dissent, intimidate civil society, and silence independent media.

The Georgian authorities continue weaponising legislation by compelling civil society organisations, media outlets, and even individuals to register as “foreign agents” if they receive international funding and engage in vaguely defined “political activity”. The law’s punitive provisions, including prison sentences of up to five years, contradict Georgia’s constitutional commitment to European integration and violate core democratic values.

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum stands in full solidarity with Georgian civil society, journalists, and citizens who continue to resist authoritarian backsliding and fight for a European future, and calls on:

The Georgian authorities:

  • To immediately repeal the FARA law and end the weaponisation of legislation against democratic actors;

The European Union and its Member States:

  • To intensify political, diplomatic, and financial support for Georgian civil society and to hold accountable those responsible for democratic backsliding;
  • To step up their commitment to unanimously agree on targeted sanctions against Georgian politicians, judges and prosecutors, especially those involved in targeting civil society, beyond visa suspension mechanism;

The international community and donors:

  • To redirect support away from state institutions complicit in repression, and to stand firmly with independent voices in Georgia.

The EaP CSF will continue to support all those in Georgia who are defending human rights, freedom of expression, and the rule of law, the foundation of Georgia’s rightful place in the European family.

The Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Environmental security in the EaP countries: state of play, challenges and opportunities

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This Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Working Group 3 policy paper explores the environmental security situation in Eastern Partnership countries, particularly in light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The paper seeks to understand the main challenges and opportunities in this field and highlight the extent to which energy and climate change challenges impact environmental security in the region. 

We invite you to read and download the policy paper below or the summary from the event here.

EaP CSF WG3 Policy Paper FinalDownload

Resilient democracies in the EaP and the EU: Strengthening civil society’s capacities

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This Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Working Group 4 policy paper highlights the role of non-formal/informal education and empowerment of marginalised groups and how media literacy can be leveraged to combat mis/disinformation.

The paper insists on the role that lifelong learning can play in reaching sustainable development and digital transformation goals. It also proposes to establish new ways of communicating between the European Union and Eastern Partnership to enhance regional cooperation and ensure the participation of civil society in decision-making and in countering anti-democratic and autocratic tendencies.  

We invite you to read and download the policy paper below.

Please note this policy paper was launched during a public event on 13 May 2025. A summary of the discussion can be found here.

EaP CSF Policy Paper WG4Download

Advancing Economic and Digital Transformation in the Eastern Partnership region

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This EaP CSF policy paper highlights how civil society organisations contribute to advancing digital transformation by fostering inclusive governance, advocating for transparency, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in leveraging digital tools.   

The paper assesses the policies and frameworks that facilitate the active participation of civil society in economic and digital transformation, highlighting both the opportunities and barriers they encounter.  

Through an analysis of success stories from various EaP countries, it identifies best practices that have led to tangible improvements in digital governance and economic resilience. The paper also provides strategic recommendations for CSOs, national authorities, and the donor community, emphasising the need for structured collaboration, capacity-building initiatives, and policy adjustments to foster sustainable digital and economic transformation in the EaP region. 

We invite you to read the policy paper below or the summary from the launch event here.

EaP CSF Policy Paper Working Group 2Download

Advancing democratisation in the Eastern Partnership countries: the role of CSO in national reforms and European integration

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This EaP CSF policy paper highlights the main challenges faced by civil society in effectively participating in decision-making processes for national reforms aimed at democratisation in the Eastern Partnership countries.

In the Eastern Partnership, civil society remains a trusted partner and agent of change, promoting European values and sustainable democratic reform.  

Civil society continues to play a key role in pushing for democratic reforms, ensuring accountability, and sustaining public engagement in European integration. However, shrinking civic spaces, growing state repression against civic activists, media and civil society, and the absence of structured participation mechanisms undermine its effectiveness. The halt of the US funding is further impacting civil society’s capacity to operate and remain relevant.    

The paper analyses the state of play and best practices that could be employed to strengthen the role of civil society in promoting democratic transformation and rule of law reforms across all EaP countries.       

We invite you to read the policy paper below.

Please note, the policy paper was launched during a public event on Wednesday 14 May 2025. A summary of the discussion can be found here.

EaP CSF Policy Paper WG1Download

Enhancing social dialogue for social justice and decent work policies across the EaP

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How can social dialogue be enhanced to implement social justice and decent work policies across the Eastern Partnership countries? 

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum is pleased to introduce its Working Group 5 policy paper. The paper examines how social partners and civil society can play a more active and meaningful role in strengthening social dialogue across Eastern Partnership countries.  

The paper specifically explores the mechanisms through which civil society organisations can contribute to the formulation and implementation of social justice and decent work policies. It focuses on identifying concrete actions that can be taken to enhance participation of social partners and civil society in social dialogue processes, while considering the unique political, economic, and social contexts of different EaP countries. 

Launch event

This policy paper was launched during a hybrid roundtable on Tuesday 6 May. A summary of the discussion can be read here.

Additional resources

You can read and download the policy paper below:

EaP CSF Policy WG5 FinalDownload

EaP CSF contributions to the European Commission Enlargement Package 2025 

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EaP CSF contributions to the European Commission Enlargement Package 2025 

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum conducted a consultation on enlargement with civil society organisations from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia, which are EaP countries with an EU candidate status.  The European Commission will adopt its annual Enlargement Package 2025 later in the year, providing a detailed assessment of the state of play and progress made by these countries on their respective paths towards EU accession.  

In June 2024, the EU officially opened accession negotiation with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The first cluster of the EU acquis to be opened will be the ‘fundamental’ cluster, which includes the foundations of the rule of law and democracy and focuses on reforms that will determine the overall pace of negotiations.   

In view of the European Commission Enlargement Package 2025, the EaP CSF consultation focused on issues pertaining to Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights and Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security of the EU acquis, which will be the first two chapters to be opened within the fundamentals cluster.  

Here are some key country highlights and recommendations that we issued to the European Commission: 

Georgia  

  • Independent Judiciary and Media: There is a pressing need for reforms to ensure the independence and transparency of the judiciary, protect media freedom, and safeguard the rights of journalists. This includes preventing political interference in judicial processes, ensuring timely and accessible court decisions. 
  • Protection of Civil Liberties: Immediate action is needed to halt the crackdown on civil society, including the repeal of restrictive laws like the “foreign agents” law, and to protect the rights to freedom of assembly, speech, and protest. Strengthening the legal framework to prevent the misuse of state power and ensuring the fair treatment of activists and journalists, free and fair elections are critical steps toward restoring public trust in democratic institutions. 

Moldova 

  • Functioning of the judiciary: The vetting of the members of the Supreme Court of Justice is progressing; the main challenge is the selection of non-judge members. Despite the regular information sessions with law professionals, academia and civil society specialists conducted by the Ministry of Justice and Superior Council of Magistracy to compete for the positions of non-judge members, few candidates applied. The vetting of the courts of appeal is ongoing. The main issue is the lack of human resources at the Court of Appeal of Chișinău and other courts, such as Comrat and Cahul, while temporary measures adopted by the Superior Council of Magistracy to delegate temporary judges from other courts to the courts of appeal are not ideal in the mid-to-long term. Moreover, the vetting of prosecutors should be sped up as no major progress has been made. 
  • Fight against corruption and organised crime: The announced reform to create a new specialised anti-corruption and fight against organised crime prosecutor’s office by dissolving the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (APO) risks jeopardising current and future investigation of high-level corruption and criminal organised crimes. An ex-ante thorough assessment of feasibility, clear roadmap for implementation and transition period should be conducted. Effectively implementation of the reform ahead of autumn’s parliamentary elections, when cases of vote-buying schemes will intensify, looks unrealistic. The APO is still in the process of being reformed; the Office still lacks human, technical and financial resources and requires a higher number of prosecutors, investigation officers, equipment and specialists. A temporary measure is to create a special unit within the General Prosecutor’s Office tasked with monitoring cases of high-level corruption, and joint investigation teams of prosecutors to work on high-level political corruption cases.  
  • Fundamental rights: At present, no legislation or responsible body handling cases of breaches of human rights in the Transnistrian region is in place. Civil society calls on the Moldovan authorities to set up a responsible body tasked with implementing normative acts and inform the people from the Transnistrian region about the procedures to follow on such cases. 

Ukraine

  • Independent Judiciary: civil society calls for the continued implementation of justice reforms and the judiciary, and for the inclusion of civil society and international experts in decision-making processes. Ukraine’s Judicial Reform Roadmap should outline all the key reforms that Ukraine must implement to receive green light for EU accession. Judicial selection should involve international experts – this mechanism should be preserved until Ukraine’s judicial system meets European standards. This would safeguard the impartiality and credibility of the system. These reforms are essential for fostering a judiciary that is both independent and resistant to corruption, thereby for strengthening public trust in the rule of law. 
  • Independent Media: Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has severely impacted independent media. Journalists face physical danger and continue to struggle with the economic consequences of the war. Russian interference, propaganda, and cyberattacks pose significant challenges. The situation has been further exacerbated by the USAID funding freeze, which threatens media independence and could lead to increased control by oligarchs and foreign propaganda. Civil society calls to prioritise journalists’ physical and digital safety and to develop independent and transparent financial support systems for independent media to counter disinformation. 

Towards a new, European chapter in Armenia’s history

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We, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) and its Armenian National Platform welcome the adoption by the Armenian National Assembly of the law launching the Republic of Armenia’s accession process to the European Union. This marks a pivotal and historic moment that confirms Armenia’s strategic orientation and places European integration at the core of its state-building agenda.

As stated in the newly adopted law:

“The Republic of Armenia, aiming to develop democratic institutions, improve the well-being of society, strengthen the country’s security, resilience, and the rule of law, declares the launch of the process of the Republic of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.”

This declaration is far more than symbolic. It carries profound political, legal, and societal significance. It lays the foundation for a new chapter in Armenia’s modern history, anchored in the principles of democracy, human rights, good governance, and the rule of law. At a time of mounting geopolitical challenges, this step brings clarity to Armenia’s foreign policy direction and opens the path toward a lasting peace, development, and security within a European framework.

Armenian civil society has been a steadfast advocate for European integration. Over the past decade, the Armenian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum has consistently supported reforms aligned with EU standards, promoted participatory democracy, and contributed to the strengthening of public institutions. A clear reflection of this commitment is the fact that the draft law titled “On the Launch of the Process of the Republic of Armenia’s Accession to the European Union” was submitted to the National Assembly through the efforts of the “Eurovote” civic initiative, whose founding members are primarily representatives of organisations within the EaP CSF Armenian National Platform.

Commending its efforts to bring Armenia closer to EU, we call on the Government of Armenia to:

  • Develop and publish a comprehensive national strategy for EU accession, based on a transparent and inclusive consultation process involving civil society and other stakeholders,
  • Establish a detailed roadmap with clear timelines, reform priorities, and measurable benchmarks aligned with the Copenhagen criteria,
  • Resolve institutional and legal inconsistencies that could hinder the start of the EU integration process, most notably by formally expressing Armenia’s intention to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Despite the existing agreements with the EAEU, significant steps have been taken to reduce Armenia’s dependencies on Russia and to strengthen Armenia’s security resilience,
  • Establish a dedicated Minister position tasked with leading and coordinating the EU accession agenda, oversee inter-agency efforts, and drive the implementation of European reforms. This proposal has already been supported by civil society, MPs and non-parliamentary democratic political forces.

We also urge the Armenian Government to initiate formal dialogue with the European Union on signing a new, updated agreement that reflects the logic and spirit of the newly adopted law, including provisions for the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). These steps are essential to unlocking the full benefits of European integration: access to EU markets, increased investment, innovation, and institutional reform mechanisms that support long-term stability and prosperity.

At the same time, we call on the EU and its Member States to:

  • Intensify political dialogue with the Armenian Government to strengthen Armenia’s resilience. Armenia’s closer integration with the EU strengthens its resilience amid foreign and regional threats. Physical and hybrid threats in the form of foreign information manipulation, interference and cyber-attacks continue to undermine the security architecture of the country and will intensify in view of 2026 parliamentary elections. The continued presence of the EU’s civilian monitoring mission along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border is vital and must be maintained until a lasting peace agreement is signed by both sides and durable confidence-building measures are in place. Armenian civil society continues to play a vital role in strengthening Armenia’s socio-economic resilience and enhancing human security in the country.
  • Facilitate further EU integration in light of Armenia’s explicitly articulated European aspirations, bolster its relations with Armenia and support the Armenian Government and the people of Armenia in the country’s democratic path towards a fully-fledged ‘3+1’ approach that includes the Trio Associated countries and Armenia,
  • Provide staunch political support to peace efforts and facilitate the unblocking of transport links with Azerbaijan.

Civil society must be recognised as a strategic partner in both Armenia’ decision-making and Armenia’s bilateral relations with the EU. Public engagement, civic monitoring, inclusive and meaningful participation in policymaking are vital to ensure that the EU integration process is not only successful but also reflects the will of the Armenian people.

Armenia’s decision to launch the EU accession process is a bold and forward-looking choice. One that will reshape Armenia’s role in the region. It sends a clear message to the Armenian citizens, EU and international partners: Armenia’s future lies in a democratic, secure, and rule of law-based Europe.

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and its Armenian National Platform stand ready to accompany and support this historic journey – through expertise, dialogue, and active engagement – so that European integration becomes not just a foreign policy goal, but a lived and inclusive reality for all in Armenia.

The Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and the Armenian National Platform

Additional resources

Read or download the statement in PDF below.

Statement – Towards a new, European chapter in Armenia’s historyDownload