Events

'Freedom, independence and plurality of media in EaP countries'

Venue: SQUARE - Brussels Meeting Centre

This joint workshop, co-organised by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and the Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP), focused on strategic communication, plurality and independence of the media, which are cross-cutting deliverables for the Eastern Partnership.

Co-Chairs:

Ms Rebecca HARMS, Co-President of the Euronest PA
Mr Emin YERITSYAN, Co-Chair of the Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP)

Improving governance and preventing corruption in the EU and EaP countries Brussels, European Committee of Regions

The workshop co-organised by CORLEAP and the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly highlighted the challenges of the fight against corruption at national, regional and local levels. It also addressed anti-corruption strategies and practices within the EU and Eastern European partners, while crossing each other experiences on results achieved. The fight against corruption should remain a priority for national, regional and local governments, in order to foster economic growth and increase citizens' trust in public institutions.

Co-organised by the Euronest PA and the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations

The conference focused on the progress made by Georgia,Moldova, and Ukraine in implementing political reform commitments under their EU Association Agreements.

EU officials, Members of the European Parliament and of the relevant national parliaments, and experts from the three countries assessed reform progress and reflected on the way forward.

The conference drew on the latest research and findings gathered by the Open Society Foundations (OSF) in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, in partnership with local think tanks and NGOs, concerning the state of democratic reforms and the implementation of association commitments.

Discussions focused on three critical reform priorities: justice, the fight against corruption; and anti-discrimination and equal treatment.

Participants also provided policy recommendations to the EU and national governments.

Heidi Hautala and Victor Dolidze, Co-Presidents of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, met with European Parliament President Martin Schulz in Strasbourg.

European Parliament, Strasbourg

Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius

Promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy represent one of the common objectives of the EU and its partner countries within the Eastern Partnership.

To address the challenges and to shape future policies in this field, the Committee on Energy Security of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly, in cooperation with the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, held a workshop on "Eastern Partnership prospects on energy efficiency and renewable energy" on 20 September 2013, at the Seimas, in Vilnius.

Part of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council, the workshop provided an opportunity for Members of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly, the European Parliament and national parliaments of EU Member States, as well as policy-makers, academics and representatives from the industry energy sector, to discuss the findings of high-level experts and to exchange ideas on initiatives for enhancing cooperation in the energy field.

The EU and its Eastern European Partners are confronted with the challenge of a secure, sustainable and affordable energy. Their energy interdependence has grown and has set the necessity to develop cooperation and partnerships in energy policy.

The regional energy policy dialogue under the Eastern Partnership has intensified over the last years, covering the convergence of energy markets, the diversification of energy supply and transit, the development of sustainable energy sources, as well as infrastructures of common and regional interest.

On 19 September 2012, at the European Parliament in Brussels, the Euronest Committee on Energy Security organised a seminar to allow exchanges of views on policies and initiatives for energy cooperation within the Eastern partnership.

Participants debated with high-level experts from the industrial, academic and public sector on key issues and recommendations.