Kiev – ESI at Association Exchange Forum
20 September 2018
Kristof Bender. Photo: Civic Synergy Project
ESI's Deputy chairman Kristof Bender attended the 2nd Association Exchange Forum organised from 19 to 21 September 2018 in Kiev by the Civic Synergy Project. It brought together government officials and civil society activists from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with officials, donor organisations, experts and think tankers of the EU and EU member states to discuss various aspects of the relations of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with the EU.
Kristof spoke on a panel about “Integration without membership: established models and new dynamics”. He presented the process that led to visa-free travel to the Schengen-Area as a model through which the EU, as an outside actor, successfully brought about tangible reforms.
It was based on a simple model: First, develop a comprehensive list of criteria and present it to all countries, regardless of their formal status in the accession process. Then put together teams of experts, including from member states, to assess regularly all criteria in all countries. Finally, make the assessments available in a systematic and comparable way, using clear and unambiguous language.
This approach led to substantive reforms in all countries, including in those initially lagging behind. Credible assessments convincingly showing that the criteria were indeed met helped to convince sceptics in EU member states.
It would make a lot of sense to use this approach more widely in countries not part of the EU accession process and extend it to other reform areas such as public procurement, statistics, or food safety.
It would put the European Commission at the centre of reform debates in these countries, convince sceptics in EU member states that when progress is reported, it is based on thorough assessments, and - most importantly - offer a process that leads to genuine reforms.
Photo: Civic Synergy Project