In the past two decades, the Eastern neighbourhood has been one of the EU’s key foreign policy priorities.[1] With the enlargement waves of 2004 and 2007 in Central and Eastern Europe, the EU found itself in neighbouring countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, thus bringing unresolved conflicts and fragile democracies closer to its own borders.
Since the launch of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in 2014, and the Eastern Partnership (EaP) in 2009, the EU has sought to enhance cooperation on wide-range of areas with its partner countries. In addition, the EU also aims to play an active role as a security actor in the region, in particular on issues such as border management, combating illegal migration and organised crime, as well as cybersecurity and fighting cyber threats.[2]
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[1] https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/neighbourhood/eastern-partnership_en
[2] https://ukraineoffice.blogactiv.eu/2018/10/30/does-the-eastern-partnership-promote-common-security-for-eastern-europe-views-from-ukraine/
