Support to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to implement the Association Agreements with the EU

Client: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2016/06 – 2017/05

The project aimed to strengthen the capacities of Ukrainian, Georgian and Moldovan institutions and civil servants to better coordinate European integration processes, and discussed with EU institutions and EU representations in these countries how to make EU assistance to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova more effective. During the project, Lithuanian experts with experience in European integration advised Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova on horizontal and sectoral issues related to better implementation of Association Agreements (AA) with the EU, including the Agreement on Close Cooperation and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). The project strengthened the analytical and pedagogical skills of European, Georgian and Moldovan European Integration coordinators, sectoral experts and lawyers working in the civil service, expecting that civil servants from these countries who participated in research, training, thematic seminars and study visits to Lithuania will be able to train their colleagues. The project summarized good practice in European coordination and discussed how this experience could be used by countries to better implement Association Agreements with the EU.

This project not only contributed to the smoother implementation of the Association Agreements of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova with the EU, but also strengthened cooperation between the countries at several levels – Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova’s relations with Lithuania and with each other, allowed to make contacts with Lithuanian civil servants working in similar fields. The project strengthened the links between the coordinating institutions (beneficiaries) and the EU Delegations, and led to a discussion and a better understanding of the link between the academic concept and practical implementation of European integration and its targeted use. At the same time, the project served to increase Lithuania’s prestige in the areas of Eastern Partnership policy and development cooperation.

The project was funded by the Development Cooperation and Democracy Promotion Programme.