Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum stands in full solidarity with #Ukraine and its people. 👇

Ukraine’s future lies in the EU. Yesterday, the European Parliament took another strong stand on #Ukraine and called on the EU to contribute to robust security guarantees. The 442 MEPs who voted in favour : 🔵 Reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. For MEPs, the European Union and its Member States must contribute to robust security guarantees to deter further Russian aggression. To do this, a substantial increase and acceleration of military support and training is needed. The effectiveness and impact of sanctions should also be reviewed to undermine Russia's ability to threaten security in Ukraine and Europe. Finally, the establishment of a "coalition of the able and willing" with like-minded partners should be encouraged to support Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia. 🟡 Welcomed progress on EU accession-related reforms despite wartime conditions. MEPs called for the acceleration of accession negotiations, recognising Ukraine’s EU integration as a strategic priority. The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum welcomes the adoption of this resolution which stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and shows its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The latest developments in US-Ukraine relations are the final wakeup call for the EU to step in. The European Union remains Ukraine’s leading partner and should actively and jointly work to maintain its support for Ukraine.

Tomorrow, the European Parliament will vote several motions for a resolution on continuing support to #Ukraine. We call on MEPs to support two key measures: 🔵 Open all chapters of the EU accession negotiation in 2025. While unheard of in the EU accession process, letting Ukraine into the EU is a security guarantee. This process should therefore be sped up as a security measure to prevent another Russian attack on Ukraine. 🟡 Support the establishment of a European peacekeeping mission, based on the contribution of willing countries, to guarantee Ukraine's security following a ceasefire and prevent any retaliatory measures from Russia.

For over a year now, Georgian #civilsociety and independent media organisations have been facing and protesting against increasing pressure from the ruling Georgian Dream party. As a result of the ruling party’s actions, Georgia’s EU accession process has been frozen for the foreseeable future. Georgian Dream officials are increasingly hostile towards Georgia's western partners, including the European Union. On 1 April, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum invites you for a discussion on #Georgia’s current fight for civil society and independent media. This event is organised as part of the INTEND research project led by ANR (Agence nationale de la recherche), Austrian Science Fund FWF, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle and Universität für Bodenkultur Wien. Details and registration ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/esG-DhT4

A united Europe is a strong Europe. We welcome the conclusions of yesterday's European Council and the strong support to #Ukraine by 26 Member States.

Ahead of the extraordinary #EuropeanCouncil on March 6, we urge European leaders to extend their support to #Ukraine and to provide firm security guarantees to ensure a just and lasting peace.   "In light of the recent US decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine, the EU and its Member States must step up their support and replace the United States in the provision of weapons and primarily missile defence systems that protect Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. The proposed EU defence package responds both to the short-term urgency of acting and supporting Ukraine while strengthening European resilience in the long term. European leaders must show unity in their support to Ukraine and contribute to all upcoming phases related to its defence, recovery and reconstruction.   The security of Ukraine and Europe are interconnected. Any negotiation talks cannot exclude them. European leaders must issue joint key principles to be respected for their participation to any peace negotiation. It is essential to define clear security guarantees to ensure a just and lasting peace in the near future." - Ruslan Havryliuk, National Facilitator of the EaP CSF Ukrainian National Platform

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum is looking for a service provider for the organisation of the 2nd EaP CSF Civil Society Summit. Deadline for application: 23 March, 11:59pm CEST Full terms are available on this link: https://lnkd.in/eVNB6NeW #Recruitment #Service #Event #EventManagement #Logistics

Georgian Dream must stop weaponising legislation! Since the conduct of controversial parliamentary elections in #Georgia and despite ongoing and repeated daily street demonstrations, the Georgian Dream party curtails Georgian citizens' rights through the adoption of numerous legislative amendments. The new bill on ‘Foreign Agents Registration Act’ (FARA) intends to broaden the scope of the Foreign Agent Law and tighten its grip on Georgian #civilsociety and media. Non-compliance with FARA will be punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Additionally, through amendments to the law on Assemblies and Demonstrations, the Administrative Offences Code, Georgia’s Criminal Code and broadcasting laws, the ruling party has unjustifiably restricted freedom of expression and increased criminal and administrative penalties. We call on: 🔴 The Georgian authorities to end their systematic crackdown on civil society and independent media and to cease using legislation as a weapon; ⚪️ The #EU and its member states to condemn the enactment of draconian legislation that restricts the civil and political rights of the people of Georgia and support Georgian civil society and media politically and financially Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/e5K6cEUb

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum supports and co-signed the call to ensure this EUR 50 billion support mechanism truly supports #Ukraine's recovery, governance and EU accession goals. To read the full letter👇

📢 The European Union in Georgia and UNDP invite civil society organisations in #Georgia to a grant contest 👇 The call aims to support civil society’s role in advancing #humanrights and promoting non-discrimination across Georgia. Support will be provided to initiatives in three areas: ✊ Protecting fundamental freedoms and civic space, 🟰 Promoting equality and inclusion for minority and vulnerable groups, 🤝 Strengthening grassroots human rights initiatives, particularly in rural and minority-populated regions. The deadline for application is 11 March. More information here: https://lnkd.in/ePrgVzDM