Azerbaijan & the EU

The EU is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Azerbaijan, going beyond co-operation, toward gradual economic integration and a deepening of political co-operation. The relations between Azerbaijan and the EU date back to the early 1990′s and the support the European Commission extended to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries (TACIS programme). A Partnership and Cooperation Agreement entered into force in 1999 and, in 2003, the EU engaged further with Azerbaijan through its European Neighbourhood Policy. In May 2009, a further step was taken with the participation of Azerbaijan to the Eastern Partnership.

The European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan (ENPAP) lays down the strategic objectives of cooperation, helps to fulfil the obligations of the PCA and establishes a set of priorities. The twinning project is to address Priority area 4 of the ENPAP Improve the business climate, particularly by strengthening the fight against corruption, and the following specific actions:

Strengthen enforcement and assess the impact and progress of the Anti-corruption law in force since January 2005;

Improve the normative-legislative framework for the fight against corruption, in conformity with the UN Convention against Corruption, the CoE Criminal Law Convention on Corruption and the CoE Civil Law Convention on Corruption.

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