The Associated Trio - Enhancing Cooperation for Peace, Democracy and Prosperity

In December 2019, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova – the three EaP countries with an association agreement with the EU – signed a joint statement, submitted to EU High Representative. In the statement, they advocated a new EU+3 format, enabling sectoral integration in transport, energy and other fields, as well as full access to the four freedoms of the EU – free movement of goods, services, capital and persons to help them progress faster on their path to European integration.

The format was welcomed by the Central and Eastern Europe countries and it also found endorsement in the European Parliament. However, a clear political will to endorse such an initiative from the EU institutions and their leadership is still being looked for. Fortunately, considering the latest developments on the Eastern frontier of the European continent, Brussels is becoming increasingly aware that it will be very difficult to ignore the differences between EaP countries’ European aspirations and capacity to pursue EU integration.

During our event we will bring together the perspectives from Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to discuss how Brussels could build practically on the success of the Association Agreements signed in 2016 and 2017. While this step undoubtedly encouraged the Trio nations to draw closer to the bloc, the European Union cannot rest on this accomplishment. Instead, concrete steps such as formally recognising the Associated Trio as a distinct grouping within the EaP, as well as reconsidering proposals to pursue integration on a sector by sector basis with enhanced economic integration, would demonstrate the commitment of the European Union and lead to a watershed moment to push for a more visionary policy on the European continent.

Speakers:

Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
Vadim Gumene, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure of Moldova (TBC)
Taras Kachka, Deputy Economy Minister of Ukraine; Trade Representative of Ukraine
Ivan Stefanec, Member of the European Parliament, ITRE  &  IMCO Committee,  
Iuliu Winkler, Member of the European Parliament, INTA Committee Vice-Chair
Lukas Mandl, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Teona Lavrelashvili, Project manager of the European Party Monitor and a Doctoral Researcher at the Public Governance Institute
Krzysztof Nieczypor, Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich – the Eastern Studies Institute
Michael Jäger, CEO of the European Economic Senate
Tudor Petru Fabian , Coordinator of the Working Group on Trade with SME Europe of the EPP
Agata Boutanos, Head of Brussels Office with the Union of Entrepreneurs & Employers (ZPP)
Damir Filipovic, Secretary-General, the European Enterprise Alliance, 
Horst Heitz, Chair of the European Steering Board of SME Connect; Executive Director SME Europe of the EPP

Full programme available here.