The European Union Initiative (hereinafter – EU) “Eastern Partnership” – is an EU policy aimed at strengthening partnerships with the EU’s Eastern Neighbours. On May 07, 2009, at the summit held in Prague (the Czech Republic), the EU Member States and representatives of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, Georgia, The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine decided on the creation of the EU Initiative «Eastern Partnership» to realize political association and economic integration between the EU and the Eastern partner countries. The Republic of Poland and the Kingdom of Sweden initiated this policy.

The Eastern Partnership is based on the mutual interests and obligations of the parties, as well as on the principles of common participation and responsibility, transparency and existing bilateral treaty relations. In addition, cooperation under the Eastern Partnership is conducted in accordance with the principles of international law and fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, market economy, sustainable development and good governance.

The Eastern Partnership aims to create a common space of global democracy, prosperity,stability and enhanced cooperation. In addition, the commitments, signed in the Eastern Partnership, contribute to strengthening state and social resilience: this makes the EU and its partners stronger and more resilient to internal and external challenges.

The Eastern Partnership focuses on four priority areas of cooperation, agreed at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga in 2015: strengthening governance: strengthening institutions and good governance; strengthening the economy: economic development and expanding market opportunities; strengthening interaction: strengthening interaction; mobility and development of society: expanding people-to-people contacts.

Since 2011 the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service on behalf of Ukraine (NAUCS) has been actively involved in the activities of the Working Panel on “Governance and Public Administration Reform” under Thematic Platform 1 “Strengthening Institutions and Good Governance” of the EU Initiative “Eastern Partnership” (hereinafter – Working Panel), in particular it has been participating in the Working Panel meetings and communicative events organized by Eastern Partnership countries on the regular basis. Furthermore, the NAUCS annually prepares proposals for the Action Plan of the Thematic Platform 1 “Strengthening Institutions and Good Governance” for the relevant year.

Thematic Platform 1 “Democracy, Good Governance & Stability” is focused on promoting democratic and economic reforms in partner countries of the Eastern Partnership. It aims to develop stable democratic institutions (including electoral standards, media legislation, anti-corruption measures) and effective state structures. The objectives of the platform are security, ensuring of the stability of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of partner countries through the implementation of multilateral confidence-building measures and the establishment of timely warning systems.

The Working Group (Panel) is focused on the following areas:

• “Civil service, public administration organizations and their functioning (human resources management, rules of recruitment, statutes)”;
• “Transparency, e-governance and data protection”;
• “Local / regional government and decentralization”;
• “Effective management of technical assistance”.

Since 2012 Ukraine has been a leading country in the area “Effective management of technical assistance”. The National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service annually prepares and approves together with partners of the Eastern Partnership a Work plan for the relevant year in four mentioned areas.

Since 2013, in the framework of cooperation with the EU Initiative «Eastern Partnership» NAUCS has prepared and implemented nearly 20 communication activities:

• Seminar“Professional development of civil service in the context of European integration: institutional and personal aspect” (06-07 June, 2013);
• Annual Richelieu academic readings“Сivil service modernization in the framework of European integration” (25-27 September, 2013);
• The eighth Annual Conference on institutional building issues (06-07 November, 2014);
• Conference “Current issues of civil service reform in the context of cooperation with society” (27-28 November, 2014);
• Conference “Interaction of government authorities and civil society in the framework of the Association Agreement implementation” (14-15 May, 2015);
• The seventh annual Richelieu academic readings “Human Resources Management іn Civil Service: New Approaches and Technology» (24-25 September, 2015);
• The ninth  Annual Conference on institutional building issues (12-13 November, 2015);
• International Conference “Professionalism, Ethics and Values of Civil Service: Experience of the EU Member States and Eastern Partnership Countries” (18-19 February, 2016);
• International forum «Interaction and cooperation of government authorities and civil society within the framework of the association agreement implementation in eastern partnership countries» (30 June-1 July, 2016);
• The eighth annual Richelieu academic readings «Current Issues of Implementation of the New Civil Service Legislation» (22-23 September, 2016);
• The tenth Annual Conference on institutional building issues (17-18 November, 2016);
• Training “Organizing and conducting competency-oriented interview (structured interview, STAR, and PARLA) and estimation of personnel by “Assessment center” and “360-degrees assessment” (14-16 December, 2016);
• The twelfth Panel on “Public Administration Reform” under Thematic Platform 1 “Democracy, Good Governance & Stability” of the EU Initiative “Eastern Partnership” (16-17 March, 2017);
• Training “Organizational Structure and Professional Competency  of Leadership in the Civil Service” (01-02 June, 2017);
• Seminar “Service Reform in Local Self-Government Authorities in the Context of Public Administration Reform and Decentralization of Power” (07-08 September, 2017);
• The ninth annual Richelieu academic readings “Professional Development and Training of Civil Servants and Local Self-Government Officials: Challenges, Objectives and Perspectives” (21-22 September, 2017);
• Annual regional conference on institution building (07-08 December, 2017);
• Seminar “Ensuring Gender Equality in the Public Service” (22 November, 2018);
• Seminar “Costing Strategies as an Integral Part of the Strategic Planning Process” (06 December, 2018);
• Seminar “Unified Electronic System of Human Resource Management in Government Authorities – an Important Step Towards Effective State Governance” (28 November, 2019).

Within the framework of this cooperation, the NAUCS has produced a number of informational and analytical and methodological materials on civil service reform and its adaptation to the EU standards, particularly:

• brochure “Local Self-Government in the Eastern Partnership Countries”;
• textbook “Professional Development of Civil Servants in the Eastern Partnership Countries: results of comparative study of civil service reform”;
• textbook “Civil Service in Eastern Partnership Countries”;
• materials for participants of the training “Organizing and Conducting Competency-Oriented Interview (Structured Interview, STAR and PARLA) and Estimation of Personnel by “Assessment Center” and “360-degrees Assessment”;
• textbook “Gender Policy in the System of Public Administration of Ukraine”.