Beyond the Vilnius Summit: challenges for deeper EU integration with Eastern Europe

The Vilnius summit at the end of November is expected to represent a landmark in EU policy towards the Eastern Partnership countries, with the likely signing of Association and Free Trade Agreements with some of these countries. In this Policy Brief Laure Delcour and Kataryna Wolczuk argue that this is just a first step. The Agreements are an advancement compared to past tools, but entail many costs for the implementing countries. In addition, Russia’s Eurasian Customs Union puts the spotlight on some fragilities of the EU’s policy initiatives and pressure on the Eastern Partnership countries, revealing how economics and geopolitics are intertwined. After Vilnius, the EU will have continue it engagement and address the huge challenges for its Eastern Partners.