ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the institutional framework of the European Union’s (EU) Association Agreements and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with some of the Eastern Partnership countries. In particular, the chapter explores the innovative dimension of the institutional arrangements related to the numerous legislative approximation commitments included in these agreements. It is demonstrated that these agreements are indeed innovative, but not revolutionary. Whereas the objective to ‘gradually integrate’ the partner countries into the EU internal market is unique, the complex web of institutional arrangements that guide these countries progressively into the internal market is shaped by path-dependent processes and mainly replicate existing arrangements.
