Eastern Partnership Index 2025 spotlights progress and challenges in EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum has released its latest comprehensive overview of reform efforts in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – the Eastern Partnership Index 2025, produced with EU support.
Marking its 10th edition, the Index assesses both progress and setbacks between July 2023 and March 2025 in key areas such as democracy, good governance, the rule of law, policy convergence with the European Union, and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The findings are based on contributions from over 60 independent experts across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The Index highlights challenges and opportunities, and offers concrete policy recommendations for the EU, EaP governments, and civil society.
The EU enlargement dynamic
Despite numerous external and internal pressures, Moldova and Ukraine – the top performers in the Index – have made progress in several thematic areas of the Index, including state accountability, independent media, market economy, environment, and transport policies. However, continued efforts are needed to close the remaining gaps, especially in the independence of the judiciary, human rights and protection mechanisms, democratic rights, elections and pluralism, and the fight against corruption – key areas for the EU’s accession agenda.
Georgia’s democratic decline
While Georgia’s overall score remains the same as in 2023, sharp declines in democratic rights, elections and pluralism, state accountability, independent media, freedoms of opinion, expression, assembly and association, independence of the judiciary, and the fight against corruption underscore a significant departure from EU norms. The country has now moved to 4th place in the EaP Index. Nonetheless, Georgian civil society and citizens remain strongly pro-European and continue to champion democratic values.
Ukraine’s progress amid Russia’s war
Despite the ongoing full-scale war, Ukraine has increased its overall Index score and is in second position, after Moldova. Improvements across several thematic areas of the Index demonstrate the resilience of Ukrainian society and a government-wide commitment to EU integration and democratic values, even under Martial Law. At the same time, institutional and governance reforms remain critical areas that require sustained attention.
Armenia’s rise
Armenia’s rise to third place in the Index, behind Moldova and Ukraine, marks a significant move toward EU alignment. Although challenges remain, the country’s progress reflects growing promise and is supported by the strong democratic commitment of its civil society.
Authoritarianism persists in Azerbaijan and Belarus
Azerbaijan and Belarus continue to be the worst performers in the EaP Index, with a dire human rights situation. Both countries maintain the imprisonment of political prisoners and have escalated the persecution of journalists and civil society. Since the 2023 edition, there has been little to no improvement; in fact, conditions have either stagnated or deteriorated further.
Connectivity advances
Most EaP countries have improved their physical connectivity with the EU and for some of them with their neighbours too. This includes more joint border operations, upgraded transport links, and harmonised customs and border systems in line with EU standards. Though much more needs to be done, progress in this area bodes well for trade and people to people contacts.
Trade versus business environment
While trade volumes with the EU remain robust, structural weaknesses persist. EaP countries continue to struggle with shadow economies, poor labour protections, and limited business reforms, all of which hamper sustainable growth, labour market development and tax revenue potential.
“As the Index reveals, progress in one area of reform does not always translate into systemic change. Advances in legal or institutional frameworks may coexist with stagnation, or even backsliding, in political accountability, human rights, or the protection of civic space. Reforms can be uneven, sometimes symbolic, and often fragile,” say Lasha Tughushi and Gurgen Petrosyan, Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. “That is why a comprehensive, sector- by-sector analysis like the one offered in this Index is indispensable. It enables us to identify gaps, highlight inconsistencies, and better target efforts for deeper and more sustainable transformation.”
The Eastern Partnership Index (EaP Index or the Index) is a data-driven, civil society produced monitoring tool that charts reform developments in the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine) towards democracy, good governance and rule of law, policy convergence with the EU and sustainable development. The EaP Index is produced by the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum with the financial support of the European Union.
Find out more
MOST READ
[popular_posts columns_xl=”4″ columns_l=”4″ columns_m=”3″]
