This group of countries encompasses Russia, the other three countries of Eastern Europe, also called Western NIS (Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine), three Caucasian countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) and five countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
The CIS group brings together very diverse economies. Apart from Russia (upper-middle income country), they are lower-middle income or developing economies. As a group, they are enjoying relatively high economic growth. However, most CIS countries continue to face serious challenges as they strive to consolidate macroeconomic stability, open and liberalise their economies, introduce market-based institutions and strengthen governance.

The EU and the CIS

The EU relations with the three Western NIS and the three South Caucasus countries are part of the ENP (the relations with Belarus are frozen pending an improvement of the political context). EU relations with Russia are not part of the ENP and are developed through a separate Strategic Partnership. In the case of the ENP countries, the Union has developed specific Action Plans, where the two parties are making clear commitments aimed at bringing the partner country economically and politically closer to the EU. To further enhance their political and economic ties, the EU, the three Western NIS and the three South Caucasus countries launched the Eastern Partnership initiative in May 2009. This initiative combines the bilateral track with an innovative multilateral dimension. The second Eastern Partnership Summit took place in September 2011 in Warsaw bringing together Heads of States of Governments of the six partner countries and the EU member states as well as representatives of the EU. They renewed their commitment to the objectives and continued implementation of the Eastern Partnership. The sides agreed to strengthen efforts and facilitate progress towards a deeper bilateral engagement entailing political association, socio-economic integration and mobility. Furthermore, the participants of the Warsaw Summit agreed to facilitate participation by partner countries in EU programmes and agencies, including through continued co-financing. Finally, multilateral co-operation was agreed to be strengthened, in particular through fast implementation of the five Eastern Partnership Flagship Initiatives which support concrete  cooperation projects between the EU and partner countries.

Partnership

Partnership and Co-operation Agreements (PCAs) govern relations between the EU and the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Their common goal of achieving stability and prosperity by means of peaceful interaction will make Europe and Central Asia strong partners with increased co-operation. The stronger EU commitment towards its Eastern neighbours within the framework of the ENP and the strategic partnership with Russia will also bring Europe and Central Asia closer to each other, both in terms of political co-operation and economic integration (including trade).
The EU has individual PCAs, similar to those concluded with the European NIS, with all five Central Asian States, although only agreements with Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan are in force. The PCA with Tajikistan has not yet been ratified by all EU Member States, and the ratification of the PCA with Turkmenistan was frozen several years ago (in a same way as the ratification of the PCA with Belarus).
A new EU political strategy for Central Asia, called “A Strategy for a new Partnership" sets out the framework for more intense EU co-operation with Central Asian countries on an individual and regional basis, especially in the following fields: rule of law, human rights, and democratisation; education; energy and transport; environment; trade and economic development co-operation; and regional security challenges, such as border management, combating drug trafficking and organised crime.

DG ECFIN activities

Within this framework, DG ECFIN focuses on three sets of activities relevant to the CIS:

• analysis, monitoring and policy advice on these economies;
• regular dialogues with national authorities on economic policy issues; and
• design, negotiation and implementation of macro-financial assistance operations in those countries where there is a financing need and which meet the pre-conditions for this support.

 

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Georgia
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan