IIRPS VU joins EU FP7 project EU-PREACC

IIRPS VU joins EU FP7 project EU-PREACC

From 1 March, 2013 IIRPS VU has joined an EU FP7 (IRSES Marie Curie Actions) project “EU-PREACC – Possibilities and Limits, Challenges and Obstacles of Tranferring CEE EU Pre-accession Best Practices and Experience to Moldova’s and Georgia’s Pre-accession Process (2013–2017)”.

The research will cover areas of the EU-Moldova and EU-Georgia cooperation, linked to both, the European NeighbourhoodPolicy Action Plan and the EU conditionality. It looks at Moldova’s and Georgia’s economic, legal and political situation anddevelopment.The focus of the project and project-related research is structuring the CEE states’ reform experience and analysingthe possibilities and limits of transferring the best practices and experience to Moldova’s and Georgia’s (possible) EU pre-accession process. It analyses the situation in Moldova and Georgia and suggests benchmarking opportunities bestsuitable for Moldova and Georgia. The results of the analysis and researchers/lecturers exchange are wrapped up viaregular thematic workshops and publications. The output of the research results is also used in improving and developing the European Union-related curricula and courses in all participating universites: in Tartu, Vilnius, Moldova and Georgia.

Work Packages are as follows:

  1. Mapping CEE states’ reform experience: environment of positive conditionality – mapping of success and failure of reformsin key policy areas related to EU accession criteria (Progress Report Chapters);
  2. European Neighbourhood Policy and Europeanization (political, economic and legal aspects) – analysing which CEEstates’ pre-accession knowledge is transferable and needed;
  3. Moldova and Georgia – the transition countries on the EU border and states between EU and Russia – analysing thespecific circumstances and policy trends;
  4. Teaching EU, EU-Russia relations and European Neighbourhood Policy in the context of interdisciplinary EuropeanStudies curricula.

Project coordinator: University of Tartu, project partners: IIRPS VU, Moldova State University, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.