University of Wroclaw Faculty of Social Sciences Institute of International Studies Veronica Russu The EU Comprehensive Institution Building programme - Opportunities for the Development of the Public Institutions in the selected Eastern Partnership countries: Georgia and Moldova Doctoral thesis supervised by: prof. dr hab. Elżbieta Stadtmüller and dr Renata Kunert-Milcarz Wroclaw, 2020 Uniwersytet Wrocławski Wydział Nauk Społecznych Instytut Studiów Międzynarodowych Veronica Russu Kompleksowy program rozwoju instytucjonalnego UE - Możliwości rozwoju Instytucji Publicznych w wybranych krajach Partnerstwa Wschodniego: Gruzji i Mołdawii Praca doktorska pod kierunkiem: prof. dr hab. Elżbiety Stadtmüller i dr Renaty Kunert-Milcarz Wrocław, 2020 Table of contents List of abbreviations Aknowledgements Introduction………………………………………………………...……………….…....8 Chapter I Theoretical perspectives of institutionalism, and of the Europeanization of the institutional approach .……………………………………….………………….21 1.1. Theoretical delimitation: institutional theory, theory of institutions and institutionalism ……………………..…………………………………………….21 1.2. New institutionalism in EU studies: current debates ……………………...…….23 1.3. Conceptual dimensions: transformation approach and institutional change ….....42 1.4. Europeanization as institutional-building …………........................................…..50 Chapter II The European Neighbourhood Policy: context and implementation ......57 2.1. European Neighbourhood Policy: origins and objectives …….……………...…..57 2.2. The Eastern Partnership – a decade of challenges and opportunities …………... 85 2.3. European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership initiative: critical reflection ….……………………….…………….……………………….……… 95 2.4. Russia, the European Union and Eastern Partnership relations – an overview ……………........................................................................................................… 99 Chapter III The Comprehensive Institution Building programme – a new approach for the Eastern Partnership countries ……………………..………………..……….107 3.1. Institution-building instruments in Eastern Partnership countries ………...........107 3.2. The Comprehensive Institution Building programme at a glance ……......…… 117 3.3. Comprehensive Institution Building: Description of the new programme ….....119 3.4. Comprehensive Institution Building budget and sectors within Eastern Partnership countries ……………………………………...…………...………...……….….124 3.5. Comprehensive Institution Building: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ………………………………………………..………...……………… 132 3 Chapter IV Comprehensive Institution Building Programme in Moldova ……… 136 4.1. Moldova country context ….………………………………...……..……….…. 136 4.2. Comprehensive Institution Building in the European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument Annual Action Programmes 2011-2013 ………………………......…147 4.2.1. Cluster 1 Public administration reform ………………………………….….153 4.2.2. Cluster 2 Rule of law ………………………………………………….........168 4.2.3. Cluster 3 Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area ……………………...173 4.3. Preliminary results of CIB in Moldova ……….………………….....………..... 178 4.4. Summary ……….……………………………………………….…..……….… 196 Chapter V Comprehensive Institution Building programme in Georgia ……....…198 5.1. Georgia country context ……………………………………...............................198 5.2. Comprehensive Institution Building in the European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument Annual Action Programmes 2011-2013 ……….................................209 5.2.1. Cluster 1 Coordination and preparation of new enhanced agreements with the EU …………………………………...……………………………………...…....214 5.2.2. Cluster 2 Democratic reforms, human rights and good governance ...…...… 220 5.2.3. Cluster 3 Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area ….…………..……… 228 5.3. Preliminary results of Comprehensive Institution Building in Georgia .…...…. 237 5.4. Summary ………...……………………………………………………..……… 257 Conclusions and outcomes …........................................................................................259 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………271 List of tables ……………………………………………………………………………311 List of figures …………………………………………………………………………...312 List of boxes ……………………………………………………………………………313 Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………..314 4 List of abbreviations AA – Association Agreement AAP – Annual Action Programme AEI – Alliance for European Integration AGEPI – State Agency for Intellectual Property ATPs – Autonomous Trade Preferences BTI – The Bertelsmann Index CBC – Cross Border Cooperation CCECC – Centre for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption CIB – Comprehensive Institution Building CIS – Commonwealth of Independent States CNAM – National Health Insurance Company CNAS – National Social Insurance House CPI – Corruption Perception Index CSF – Civil Society Fund CSP – Country Strategy Paper DCFTA - Deep Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement EaP – Eastern Partnership EaPIC – Eastern Partnership Integration and Cooperation EC – European Commission ECG – Electronic Government Centre ECHR – European Convention on Human Rights EEAS – European External Action Service EED – European Endowment Democracy EEU- Eurasian Economic Union EFI – Economic Freedom Index ENI – European Neighbourhood Instrument ENP – European Neighbourhood Policy ENPI – European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument EP – European Parliament EUI – Economist Intelligence Unit EUMAP – EU–Moldova Action Plan FD – Framework Document GEOSTM – Georgian National Agency for Standards, Technical Regulations and Metrology G2B – Government to Business G2C – Government to Citizens G2G – Government to Government 5 ICT - Information and Communications Technology IDP – Institutional Development Plans IMF – International Monetary Found IRP –Institutional Reform Plans MAFI – Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry MEDA – European Mediterranean Partnership MESD – Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development MFA – Macro-financial assistance MFAEI – Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European Integration MoF – Ministry of Finance NAC – National Anticorruption Centre NDA – National Development Strategy NDICI – Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument NFSA – National Food Safety Agency NIF – Neighbourhood Investment Fcaility NIP – National Indicative Programme NIS – National Independent States OGAP – Open Government Action Plan OSMEEAI – Office of the State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration PAO – Public Administration Office PAR – Public Administration Reform PCA – Political and Cooperation Agreement PCRM – Communist Party of Moldova PDM – Democratic Party of Moldova PL – Liberal Party of Moldova PLDM – Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova PPA – Public Procurement Agency PSRM – Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova RCI – Rational Choice Institutionalism RTA – Residential Twinning Advisors SDP – Strategic Development Programmes SIGMA – Support for Improvement in Governance and Management SPAR – Strategy of Public Administration Reform SPRING – Support for Partnership, Reforms and Inclusive Growth SPS – Sanitary and phytosanitary TACIS – Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States programme TAIEX - Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument WB – World Bank 6 Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my research supervisors Prof. dr hab. Elżbieta Stadtmüller and Dr. Renata Kunert-Milcarz. Prof. Stadtmüller and Dr. Kunert-Milcarz have inspired and encouraged me throughout the entire process of this thesis. Their constant feedback was crucial in the development of this dissertation for which I immensely thankful. I am also grateful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland that offered me the opportunity to do my PhD studies at the University of Wroclaw under the Stefan Banach Scholarship Programme from 2013 to 2017. Throughout part of my PhD years, I have been hosted by the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Leuven, Belgium as Erasmus student. I thank to Prof. Dr. Peter Vermeerchs and Dr. Niels Smeets who were my local supervisors during my research stay in Leuven. I am very grateful to Ursula Broda, director of the International Office at the University of Wroclaw that she encouraged me with positive support on professional and personal life during my research stay in Wroclaw. Finally, I am deeply indebted to my family who has been waiting with impatience for the completion of my dissertation. My deep gratitude goes to my mother Lidia who encouraged me from distance and kept me going on with positive thoughts. This dissertation would not have been possible without her input. I dedicated the thesis to her. I could not conclude without mentioning my cat Felix which brought a smile on my face every time when I felt the pressure or sad moments. Finally, having finished this dissertation gives me huge emotions and wonderful memories. Thank you to all. 7 Introduction Overview of the dissertation The fall of communism in Eastern Europe (1989-1991) led to one of the most profound changes of political and economic systems ever witnessed in human history. For the concerned countries, regime change meant the transition from a communist society and a planned economy to some form of a Western model of a democratic, market-oriented society, based on a wide-ranging economic, political, social and cultural transformation. The early 1990s witnessed the transformation of social, economic and political processes not