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Europe and the reshaped global order / Book

Into EurAsia: Monitoring the EU's Central Asia Strategy

24/02/2010 By Jos Boonstra, Michael Emerson

The EU Strategy for Central Asia was introduced in 2007 to upgrade the EU’s cooperation with the five states of the region: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Concerns in the EU over energy security and the war in Afghanistan dominated the political context at that time. But the strategy sought to take a broad and comprehensive approach, with priority actions addressing political dialogue, education, economic development, energy and transport links, human rights and the rule of law, drug trafficking, environmental sustainability and water, among other matters.

Into EurAsia – Monitoring the EU’s Central Asia Strategy offers the first assessment of this ambitious plan, undertaken by independent analysts from the EU and Central Asia within the context of the EUCAM project. The role of Russia, China, the US, Turkey, Iran and the other major players, as well as the current state of politics and economics in the region are all analysed through the prism of the EU Strategy.

While acknowledging the undoubted increase in the level of EU engagement in the region, the report underlines the need to sharpen the operational effectiveness of the strategy and formulates recommendations for all sectors, including human rights, security, energy, water supply, hydro-power and transport corridors.

Crucially, this report considers how the strategy for this region fits into the EU’s worldview. Coinciding as it does with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, Into EurAsia presents a test case of how the EU may shape up to meet its newly enhanced foreign policy responsibilities.

See executive summary

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Keywords

European Union Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

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Bio author: Jos Boonstra

Central Asia. Eastern Europe. The Balkans. Caucasus. CSDP.NATO.OSCE.Security Sector Reform. Eastern Partnership.

Bio author: Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson is Associate Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) since 1998, and program director for Wider Europe; he participated in successive projects on the Balkans, Caucasus, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Cyprus, Middle East, conflict resolution, democracy promotion, Europe's strategic security, political Islam and the crisis of multi-culturalism within the EU.