Policy Brief
January 2016
Summary
The mandate of the European Union (EU) for democracy Supporting democracy in support stems from the Treaty of the European Union of 1992 the EU Neighbourhood: the and subsequent initiatives and frameworks. The EU has carried out its democracy-assistance activities Eastern Partnership through a series of specific policies and programmes, and their attached Key recommendations instruments, targeting both 1. Increase consistency across democracy-support instruments and institutions: institution-building and political Contradictory policies, instruments and actions weaken the credibility and reform. This Policy Brief outlines trustworthiness of the European Union (EU). the democracy-assistance work 2. Improve definitions of policy priorities: The EU should clearly spell out how it conducted within the framework supports the advancement of democratization and state-building. The policy of the European Neighbourhood priorities of development aid in general, and EU democracy assistance in Policy, and in particular the particular, are too broadly and vaguely defined. Eastern Partnership. It includes a 3. Increase transparency in democracy assistance: The EU’s development assistance, number of policy recommendations and in particular assistance related to democracy support and political reform which, if implemented, would processes, has suffered from a lack of transparency. help strengthen the coherence and 4. Give greater prominence to gender equality: A review of the strategic documents effectiveness of the EU’s democracy- and action plans related to the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) reveals assistance programmes. that, while gender equality features among the common values on which the ENP is based, clear objectives and specific action points on this matter are lacking. 5. Become more involved in conflict management: While the EU acknowledges that conflicts in the South Caucasus hinder democratization and its own democracy- About International IDEA building efforts, it has not concretely addressed conflict management in the region.
The International Institute for Background Democracy and Electoral Assistance The EU’s mandate to support democracy in its neighbourhood stems from article (International IDEA) is an 21 of the Treaty of the European Union (1992), which states that democracy, intergovernmental organization with the rule of law and the universality and indivisibility of human rights and a mission to support sustainable fundamental freedoms are the guiding principles of the Union’s external action. democracy worldwide. The European Council’s Conclusions on Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations, adopted in 2009, made the EU’s efforts to support democracy more www.idea.int coherent. The EU’s commitment to democracy assistance has been further strengthened by the Foreign Affairs Council’s 2012 EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, and the 2011 Agenda for Change. In 2011 Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated: ‘we need to help build what I call deep democracy and that includes political reform, elections, institution building, fight against corruption, independent judiciary and support to civil society’ (Ashton 2011). Human rights and democracy remain high on the EU agenda, as shown by the EU Action Plan © 2016 International IDEA on Human Rights and Democracy for the period 2015–19.
1 We need to help build what I call deep democracy and that includes political reform, elections, institution building, fight against corruption, independent judiciary and support to civil society.
Catherine Ashton, 2011
The EU institutions involved context. The ENP mostly consists of in democracy assistance and good- bilateral cooperation between the EU governance programmes are the and its partner countries. The ENP European Commission, the European is further complemented by three Council, the European External Action additional initiatives: the Eastern Service (EEAS) and the European Partnership (EaP) covering Armenia, Parliament. In addition, two other Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova initiatives—the European Instrument and Ukraine; the Euro-Mediterranean for Democracy and Human Rights Partnership (EUROMED) covering (EIDHR), launched in 2006 as a tool 15 countries in Africa, the southern of the European Commission designed Mediterranean and the Middle East; to support civil society, and the and the Black Sea Synergy, encouraging European Endowment for Democracy cooperation between the countries (EED), established in 2012 as an surrounding the Black Sea. independent institution to complement The EaP is a far-reaching framework the initiatives of the EU instruments— for cooperation, especially in the support civil-society actors and other areas of institution-building and good stakeholders in their efforts to deepen governance. Since its adoption in democracy and human rights. These 2009, the EaP has sought to deepen instruments are flexible and can operate EU support for reforms essential to without the consent of the formal building peace, prosperity and security, authorities. and has set out proposals for an Much of the EU’s democracy- ambitious programme of institution- assistance work in the countries building with the aim of further neighbouring the Union is conducted reinforcing the ENP. within the framework of the European Under the objective of accelerating Neighbourhood Policy. Developed in political association and furthering 2004 and currently under review and economic integration, the EaP includes renewal, the ENP’s main objective is a programme of visa liberalization to promote a ‘ring’ of well-governed and mobility for citizens as long-term countries strengthening prosperity, goals for individual partner countries. stability and security for the EU In order to support gradual economic Member States and their direct integration, the EU has offered its neighbours. The ENP is based on eastern neighbours the option of mutual commitments to common negotiating Association Agreements, values, including the rule of law, including Deep and Comprehensive good governance, respect for human Free Trade Agreements. Granting rights, promotion of good neighbourly enhanced access to the European relations, market principles and market, the Association Agreements sustainable development. present strong incentives for democratic Today, ENP democracy support is and economic reform. As such, they are increasingly tailored to the needs and the main instruments the EU uses in conditions of specific countries, and order to bring EaP countries closer to therefore each initiative under the ENP its own norms and standards. is highly differentiated depending on In contrast to earlier iterations of the the historical, cultural and political ENP—which provided partners with
International IDEA Policy Brief, January 2016 2 the option and target to harmonize Increase consistency across over 80 per cent of their legislation democracy-support instruments with that of the EU, in effect adopting Contradictory policies, instruments the vast majority of the body of EU and actions weaken the EU’s credibility laws, the acquis communautaire—the and trustworthiness. Therefore, the requirement that EaP members adopt EU should improve consistency across EU legislation is a revolutionary move. its democracy-support instruments Through its ENP Action Plans, the and institutions. The EU’s democracy- EU covers a variety of issues including building activities have generally economic development, promotion of privileged institution-building in democracy and human rights, energy, order to prevent ‘violent transitions’ transport, environmental protection, in the Eastern Neighbourhood. These people-to-people contacts, development activities have been focused on gradual of political institutions, and cross- transition to ensure real societal border and regional cooperation. reforms over time and prevent violent short-term transitions that could have Achievements wider regional repercussions and high Within the broader framework of the human, social and economic costs. ENP, and the EaP in particular, the However, these incremental and EU’s democracy-assistance activities gradual aspirations have not been fully and support for state-building in these aligned with the EIDHR or the EED. countries have generally been well For example, the EIDHR has targeted, with a strong focus on local supported revolutionary transitions, as ownership. They have been tailored to shown by its involvement in Tunisia the particular circumstances of each in 2010 and 2011. Meanwhile, a country, and the complementarity 2012 report by the EEAS considered of other donors’ programmes, thus these same revolutionary transitions avoiding duplication and enhancing dangerous. Furthermore, the EED aims synergies and common interests. to ‘support the unsupported’, including ‘journalists, bloggers, non-registered Challenges NGOs [and] political movements’ An in-depth analysis of EU activities (European Commission 2012). This in democracy-building targeting the also seems to contradict the pursuit of countries covered by the EaP, and gradual political transition. in particular Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, illustrates some of the Improve definitions of policy priorities partnership’s challenges. In particular, The EU should improve its definition of despite significant differences, these policy priorities and more clearly spell three countries share many political out how they support democratization and socio-economic challenges, and state-building. The policy priorities including fragile institutions, of development aid in general, and of corruption, poverty and conflict. EU democracy assistance goals, could benefit from clearer formulation. Recommendations For example, the EU’s priorities Several policy recommendations have with regard to its eastern partners often been identified which, if adopted, lack specificity, especially in the area of would strengthen the coherence and democratization, where terms such as effectiveness of the EU’s democracy- ‘democratization’, ‘good governance’ assistance programmes. These and ‘institution-building’ are often recommendations relate to increasing used interchangeably. consistency across democracy-support While this reflects the different instruments; improving the definitions priorities of EU Member States and of policy priorities; increasing partner governments, the need to transparency in democracy assistance; reconcile competing agendas at the giving greater prominence to gender level of implementation inevitably equality; and involvement in conflict- results in programmes that lack a clear management. focus.
International IDEA Policy Brief, January 2016 3 Increase transparency the EU as an institution has had no The EU’s development assistance representation in this core group, The Inter-Regional Dialogue related to democracy support and the resolution of the conflict has on Democracy political reform processes has suffered featured in the ENP Action Plans for from a lack of transparency. While the Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both plans The Inter-Regional Dialogue on websites of EU delegations contain have called for increased diplomatic Democracy (IRDD) is a platform overviews of current projects, it is efforts, increased political support to for engagement among regional often difficult to identify the budget the Minsk Group, people-to-people organizations on democracy, and is lines through which these projects contacts and intensified EU dialogue. facilitated by International IDEA. are financed, making it hard to However, bilateral actions or attempts assess the overarching objective and to initiate conflict-resolution talks have Regional organizations participating aims of support. Information about not featured in these plans. in the IRDD include the African completed projects is also scarce. The EU has been more proactive Union, the Association of Southeast Publicly available evaluations are rare, in the management of the conflict in Asian Nations, the Council of although the European Commission’s Georgia, acting as a mediator in the Europe, the European Union, two major annual reports on its 2008 Geneva talks and dispatching the League of Arab States, the development assistance both include a monitoring mission to help prevent Organization of American States, a chapter on assistance to Central parties to the conflict recommencing the Pacific Islands Forum and Asia. Furthermore, in 2013 the EU hostilities. Even if conflict resolution is the South Asian Association for published an extensive evaluation by not spelt out as the EU’s main priority Regional Cooperation. the European Court of Auditors and in the South Caucasus, the conflicts another major review of development that dominate the region should International IDEA acts as the aid will be published in 2016. be more clearly addressed. Indeed, IRDD Secretariat and also hosts it could be argued that the EU’s the Inter-Regional Democracy Give greater prominence to gender rhetorical support for the Minsk Group Resource Centre, a virtual resource equality undermines its own visibility, influence for democracy at the regional and A review of the strategic documents and impact in the region. inter-regional level. and action plans related to the ENP reveals that, while gender equality References www.idea.int/democracydialog features among the common values Ashton, C., ‘Remarks by the EU High on which the ENP is based, clear Representative Catherine Ashton at objectives and specific action points are the Senior officials’ meeting on Egypt lacking. Given the low levels of political and Tunisia’, 23 February 2011, participation and representation of
Become more involved in conflict Acknowledgements management This Policy Brief has been prepared by While the EU acknowledges that International IDEA’s Inter-Regional conflicts in the South Caucasus Democracy Resource Centre in INTERNATIONAL IDEA hinder democratization and its own collaboration with Nelli Babayan, Strömsborg democracy-building efforts, it has Freie Universität Berlin; and Nicklas SE–103 34 Stockholm not yet concretely addressed conflict Norling and Svante Cornell, Institute Sweden management in the region. This for Security and Development Policy, Tel: +46 8 698 37 00 is especially true of the conflict in Stockholm. Fax: +46 8 20 24 22 Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been Email: [email protected] mediated by the Organization for Website: www.idea.int Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Facebook.com/InternationalIDEA Minsk Group (co-chaired by France, Twitter@Int_IDEA Russia, and the United States). While
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