Publications

In the European Neighbourhood Policy review published last May, the EU recognised the importance of developing policies to support civil society in Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus, by promoting the creation of a Civil Society Facility and a new European Endowment for Democracy.

The Eastern Partnership was already making steps in this direction, and these are all welcome developments, argues Agnieszka Lada in this Policy Brief. Still, for the ambitious goal of strengthening civil society and making it an actor in promoting the democratic transformation in these countries to be achieved, much more attention to detail is needed. The EU needs to know the situation on the ground in these countries, and support the development of sustainable and competent organisations capable of taking on the many challenges they face in these diverse countries.