Introduction

The creation of the Eastern Partnership (EaP), formally launched at the first Prague EaP Summit in May 2009, is the outcome of both intense advocacy on the part of individual EU Member States and their subsequent pursuit of favour exchanging, veto playing, and issue linkage. The EaP’s scope is much broader and more ambitious than the project-based Union/Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which is rooted in the principle of reinforced cooperation and leaves it to the discretion of EU Member States to involve themselves. Unlike the UfM, the EaP was not endowed with its own secretariat, a secretary general or a rotating presidency, even though Poland, for example, has repeatedly called, for the creation of such joint institutions. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.