Non-state actors as agents of change: the partnerships between the European Union and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine

Abstract

Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have deepened their relations with the European Union by concluding Association Agreements aimed to advance their political association and economic integration with the Union. The three countries have committed to internal reforms towards strengthening democracy, the rule of law and the market economy. This policy analysis assesses the contribution of non-state actors to the evolution of the partnerships between the EU and the three associated states through national and transnational frameworks. The review of these governance frameworks covers the instruments by which the EU supports non-state actors in these three countries, the functioning of the networks bringing together non-state actors, and the processes by which these actors contribute to intergovernmental and national policy-making. The paper argues that the EU should continue to diversify its support to non-state actors, reaching out to a wider range of stakeholders, and invest in building their capacity to help shape, and monitor the implementation of, national reform agendas.