About the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument

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The European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument – known as the ENPI – is the main financial mechanism through which assistance is given to the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Partner Countries, as well as Russia. It is the cooperation instrument, managed by DG EuropeAid, through which decisions taken on a political level are turned into actions on the ground.
The overarching aim of the ENPI is to create an area of shared values, stability and prosperity, enhanced cooperation and deeper economic and regional integration by covering a wide range of cooperation areas.
It is a more flexible and policy driven mechanism, as the allocation of funds depends on a country’s needs and absorption capacity and its level of implementation of agreed reforms.
According to the ENPI regulation, the objective of the ENPI is to provide Community assistance for the development of an area of prosperity and good neighbourliness involving the European Union and the partner countries and territories.

Azerbaijan
Overall, Azerbaijan made some progress in implementing the ENP AP, the report says, in particular in the area of macro-economic stability and efforts to address poverty and attain socio-economic equilibrium. Good progress was made in the field of energy cooperation, including Azerbaijan’s support to the Southern Gas Corridor.
Azerbaijan needs to make significant further efforts to meet AP commitments in the field of democracy, including electoral processes, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the independence of the judiciary. In this respect the EU noted with concern an increasing number of reported arrests of youth activists in the country in February, March and April 2011 and other measures of intimidation as well as restrictions on the freedom of expression and assembly.