Cooperation with the EU and the Eastern PartnershipAt the 3rd Association Exchange Forum the Joint Declaration of Georgian, Moldovan, Ukrainian Civil Society Platforms on Cooperation in Striving for European Integration was adopted
At the 3rd Association Exchange Forum, which took place on 13-15 November in Kyiv, the Georgian, Moldovan, and Ukrainian Civil Society Platforms adopted a Joint Declaration on cooperation in striving for the European integration.
Declaration was presented to the officials and expert community of the three associated countries as well as to the representatives of the EU institutions (European Commission, EEAS, European Parliament).
Joint Declaration of Georgian, Moldovan, Ukrainian Civil Society Platforms on Cooperation in Striving for European Integration
The civil society platforms representing civil society organisations from Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine:
Having regard to:
- The Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit, 7 May 2009, which launched the Eastern Partnership with the main goal to create the necessary conditions to accelerate political association and further economic integration between the EU and interested partner countries;
- The Association Agreements between the EU and Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, concluded in 2014 to promote political association and economic integration while leaving open the way for future progressive developments in relations with the EU;
- The common European choice, values and aspirations of Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, as acknowledged by the EU in the preambles of respective Association Agreements;
- The Joint Declaration of the Brussels Eastern Partnership Summit, 24 November 2017, in which participants agreed to introduce an enhanced dialogue between the EU and the associated partners on AA/DCFTA implementation;
- The Charter of the Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, signed in Tbilisi on 5 October 2018;
Agreed on the following:
- Profound changes have happened in Eastern Europe in the last decade that require establishing a new format for cooperation of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia on the way of European integration, to promote peer-to-peer exchange, policy coordination and mutual support in Association Agreement implementation and the dialogue with the EU institutions.
- This trilateral format should be further institutionalised and include regular consultations and joint actions on the governmental, parliamentary and civil society levels. It should exist in parallel to and without jeopardising the existing Eastern Partnership multilateral structure.
- To help each other to meet the political criteria for EU membership, the three countries should conduct discussions, experience exchange, and comparative assessments of their progress in democracy, the rule of law and good governance.
- Based on EU rules and in alignment with EU policies, the three countries should facilitate trade and build a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital and persons; develop connectivity, transport and communication infrastructure; cooperate in energy, environment and social policies.
- Based on their shared interests, the three countries should conduct regular consultations on the issues of regional security; develop military and law enforcement cooperation; exchange experience and cooperate to raise resilience against hybrid threats.
- In the short-term, EU policy towards the three associated countries should be upgraded to offer full de facto integration in line with the ‘everything but institutions’ promise. Legislative screening, integration into the Single market, inclusion in the cohesion policy (access to structural funds), extension of the infrastructure networks, and strengthened CSDP and JLS cooperation are among the key elements.
Based on the above, they call on:
- The Governments of the three countries: to launch trilateral high-level cooperation formats and thematic consultations, and a joint secretariat;
- The Parliaments of the three countries: to intensify cooperation within the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and to focus it on peer learning in Association Agreement legislative implementation;
- The EU: to support the trilateral cooperation and institutionalise the enhanced dialogue in the EU+3 format.
In their turn, the national parts of the three bilateral civil society platforms established under Association Agreements and the three EaP CSF national platforms shall engage in structured cooperation, hold regular joint meetings and promote common projects and initiatives among civil society organisations of the associated countries.
Georgian Side of the EU-Georgia Civil Society Platform
Moldovan Side of the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform
Ukrainian Side of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform
Georgian National Platform of the EaP CSF
Moldovan National Platform of the EaP CSF
Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF