On November 21, 2012, the Public Presentation of Report on the European Integration Index for Eastern Partnership Countries took place in Chisinau, Moldova.

In the framework of the event, the participating civil society experts, co-authors of the report Iryna Solonenko, (leading expert of the Eastern Partnership Index team), Alexandru Fala, (expert of IDIS Viitorul), Elena Prohnitchі, (Program Coordinator at ADEPT), Ion Guzun, (Program Coordinator, Legal Resource Center, member of the National Mechanism for Prevention of Torture), Ion Muntean , (expert at IDIS Viitorulm), Anna Golubovska-Onisimova, (Chair of the Coordination Board of the UNENGO “MAMA-86”) and Togrul Juvarli, (expert, Azerbaijan) presented the project’s concept, methodology and key findings of the European Integration Index (EII) for Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries and the analysis of challenges, achievements and trends in the region on the way towards European integration.

The EII tracks the progress of EaP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) in European integration reforms on an annual basis and in comparative perspective and provides a nuanced cross-country and cross-sectoral analysis. The Index was developed by the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) in partnership with the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and leading experts from think-tanks and university institutions in EaP countries and the EU. The project is funded by the IRF’s European Program and the East East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program of the OSF.

The findings of the 2012 EII show that in the overall assessment Moldova is the best performer in European integration reforms, Ukraine ranks third, and Belarus shows the smallest progress in European integration.

One of the key contributors to the report, Anna Golubovska-Onisimova, Chair of the UNENGO “MAMA-86” Coordination Board, presented the Environment and Sustainable Development analysis behind the EII, the preparation of which, including the development of methodology, she coordinated.

8 experts from the Working Group 3 “Environment, Climate Change and Energy Safety” of the EaP Civil Society Forum, representing all 6 EaP countries, took part in this analysis.

The Environment and Sustainable Development Chapter findings cover such questions as environmental policy (including MEAs), sustainable development policy, resource efficiency, climate change, pressure to/state of environment and sustainable development and trade, and help to make a link between policy and results of its implementation.

In this part of the EII Moldova, Belarus and Georgia are the best performers, while Ukraine and Azerbaijan are the worst, mostly due to the high strain on their environments and poor environmental conditions.

To learn more about the European Integration Index (EII) and in particular, Environment and Sustainable Development part of the analysis, please, follow the links below:

Presentation of Anna Golubovska-Onisimova (Chair of the UNENGO “MAMA-86” Coordination Board)

Narrative analysis summary of the Environment and Sustainable Development part of the EII

Official web site of the European Integration Index: www.eap-index.eu