A Competitive Two-speed Policy: The Eastern Partnership beyond 2013

A redefinition of the Eastern Partnership beyond 2013 is urgently needed in order to make the EU a more competitive player vis-à-vis Russia and China in the region. Eastern partners which choose deeper economic integration with the EU must therefore be supported by enhanced cooperation, which would require further differentiation in approaches towards neighbours. It should also be supported by certain horizontal policies, strengthening the EU’s multilateral cooperation and the fledgling European Union diplomacy in this region, assisted by better targeting policies at EaP societies.