Eastern Partnership
The Eastern Partnership is an initiative to help Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine increase economic, political, and cultural links with the EU. It includes interconnectivity (energy and transport), energy efficiency, environment and climate change in two out of five thematic cluster priorities. The Economic and Investment plan for the Eastern Partnership will mobilise a total of €2.3 billion from the EU budget in grants, blending and guarantees, to support the post-pandemic recovery and to sustainably transform the economies of the Eastern partners.
The objective of cooperation in the energy field is to support partner countries on their way towards a low-carbon economy and to increase economic and political resilience by increasing security of energy supply. The work is guided by a set of post-2020 Eastern Partnership priorities and is carried out in the multi-sectoral Eastern Partnership panel on energy, environment and climate change, as well as in specific networking groups on renewable energy, renewable gases and regulatory issues.
Eastern Partnership meetings
Meetings have been organised in the framework of the Eastern Partnership since 2010. The reports, minutes, presentations and meeting agendas are available on the Eastern partnership documents (CIRCA BC).
Ukraine
EU-Ukraine energy relations, including nuclear energy, are based on the Association Agreement in force since 1 September 2017.
Relations across all sectors, including energy, will also be reframed under the EU’s accession negotiations with Ukraine, which were officially opened in June 2024. Ukraine has been a member of the Energy Community since February 2011.
On 24 November 2016 the EU and Ukraine signed a new Memorandum of Understanding on a strategic energy partnership with the objective to achieve a full integration of the EU and Ukraine energy markets.
Following the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, the electricity grids of Ukraine (and Moldova) were successfully synchronised with the Continental European Synchronous Area on 16 March 2022 under emergency mode and on 28 November 2023 under permanent mode. This historic milestone for the EU-Ukraine relationship enabled the export of electricity from the EU to Ukraine and Moldova and helped Ukraine to keep its electricity system stable under the extremely difficult circumstances.
Stepping up the EU’s support for Ukraine and paving the way towards its full integration within the European energy market, the Commission announced an energy security and integration package for Ukraine on 24 February 2025, towards the full coupling of Ukraine's electricity market with the EU by 2027, together with Moldova. The package includes further integration with the EU gas sector, provided that Ukraine significantly accelerates the necessary market reforms. Increasing the overall resilience of Ukraine’s energy system, the Commission will offer assistance to Ukraine to acquire the necessary volumes of gas and accelerate the deployment of domestic renewable power production, increasing the overall resilience of Ukraine’s energy system.
For winter 2024-2025, the EU fully delivered on 3 priorities presented by President von der Leyen in September 2024, as part of a €156 million package to support Ukraine’s energy security for the winter
- Repair of 1.8 GW of power capacity from thermal power plants and 3 renewable energy parks
- Stabilise: decentralised generation projects were rolled out across Ukraine to bring energy security to critical services, households and businesses
- Connect: EU electricity exports for winter were increased up to commercial capacity reaching 2.1 GW and an emergency buffer extra capacity of 250 MW
With the support of the Commission, the Energy Community established, in 2022, the Ukraine Energy Support Fund which has become the main global channel for financial support to Ukraine’s energy sector, raising €1.3 billion as of October 2025. The Union Civil Protection Mechanism, managed by DG ECHO, is the EU’s main instrument for in-kind support to Ukraine, including in the energy sector.
Russia's military aggression against Ukraine compromises the safe operation of critical energy infrastructure, as well as the safety of nuclear installations devoted to peaceful purposes. The Commission is actively working on ensuring that Ukraine can maintain stable electricity and gas supply despite the war, including ensuring the reverse flows of gas to the country and the delivery of energy supplies (fuels and equipment) that are most urgently needed.
On the Commission’s EU Solidarity with Ukraine website there is detailed information (also available in Ukrainian and Russian) about the EU’s political, financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and the sanctions against Russia and those complicit in its aggression on Ukraine. In June 2024, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, Commission President von der Leyen announced €1.4 billion in new guarantee and grant agreements to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, as part of the Ukraine Facility's Investment Framework. Support to the energy sector, including the repair and development of critical energy infrastructure, is among the key areas supported by these agreements.
Following the College of Commissioners visit to Kyiv on 2 February 2023, the Commission launched the project ’Ray of hope’ to allocate donated solar PV panels in key public buildings in Ukraine, providing self-generated electricity to essential services like education and health. This initiative is part of a wider effort undertaken by the EU to ensure off-grid solutions aimed at increasing the country’s energy resilience through decentralised energy generation. The project shows European solidarity in action and showcases how investment in clean tech manufacturing can make Europe more energy secure and independent.
In the past years, the EU and Ukraine have intensified their cooperation in the energy field to advance the reform of Ukraine's energy sector and its gradual decarbonisation with reference to the 5 pillars of the EU's energy union. As a member of the Energy Community, Ukraine is undertaking important market reforms despite the ongoing war. These reforms would allow the country to join the EU’s single energy market and facilitate its path to accession into the EU. To help advance this process, a high-level working group on energy market integration was set up in 2021.
In February 2023 the EU and Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on renewable gases. Biomethane, hydrogen and renewable energy constitute an opportunity for Ukraine to develop new revenue streams to support its resistance against Russia and advance on its energy transition. In June 2024 Ukraine also adopted its National Energy and Climate Plan which will serve as a blueprint for its green reconstruction as part of a climate-neutral Europe.
On 8 - 9 July 2025, Ukraine’s bilateral screening meeting with the Commission was held in Brussels. Ukraine presented their progress in aligning energy legislation with EU standards, addressing key areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy performance of buildings, energy labelling and ecodesign, gas and electricity markets, security of supply, methane, oil, governance, and cross-border cooperation. The meeting marked a pivotal step in Ukraine’s EU accession journey, as the Commission will assess their legislative alignment and use the findings to inform future accession negotiations.
31 December 2024 marked the end of the Russian gas transit agreement via Ukraine. An extraordinary meeting of the Gas Coordination Group held on 2 January 2025 confirmed that thanks to efficient preparatory work and coordination in the region and beyond, the end of the transit agreement created no security of supply concerns.
Republic of Moldova
The Republic of Moldova has been part of the Energy Community since 2010 and the EU has established a High Level Energy Dialogue with Moldova to support its energy security and market reforms. Since 2021, Moldova has achieved significant progress in diversifying and securing energy suppliers thanks to political willingness for reform. While still dependent on fossil fuel and electricity imports, structural reforms helped reduce the historical dependence on a single source of gas and electricity.
With the EU’s support, Moldova no longer consumes any Russian gas since December 2022. In 2023, it took decisive steps to align with the EU's Third Energy Package to comply with unbundling requirements in electricity and gas transmission systems.
In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine and Moldova’s electricity grids were synchronised with the Continental European Grid in March 2022. The EU continues to work actively to ensure that Moldova can maintain stable electricity and gas supplies to help speed up its energy independence. In past years, Moldova has rapidly expanded its renewable energy capacity, made progress to strengthen power interconnections with the EU and advanced with electricity market integration.
Since 1 January 2025, Gazprom has not honoured its contractual obligation to channel gas to the Transnistrian region (the Left Bank), which was also essential for power production and export to the Right Bank, triggering a serious energy crisis, with significant economic and social consequences.
The EU emergency support of €30 million, announced on 27 January and already delivered for the Transnistrian region, has prevented a humanitarian crisis on the Left Bank and contributed to bringing down consumer prices on the Right Bank.
On 4 February 2025, the Commission and Moldova agreed on a 2-year Comprehensive Strategy for Energy Independence and Resilience of Moldova. It has a 2-fold objective of decoupling Moldova from the insecurities of Russian supply of energy and fully integrating it in the EU energy market. Under this strategy, overall support for the Republic of Moldova would account to €250 million for 2025.
In addition, an offer of €60 million is made available for the people in the Transnistrian region of Moldova subject to the fulfilment of concrete steps concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Transnistrian region to be agreed with the government of Moldova prior to delivering the assistance and excluding energy intensive activities.
In October 2021, as an imminent response to the energy crisis, increased energy security and a better functioning energy market were identified as key cooperation priorities at the first meeting of the EU- Moldova High-Level Dialogue on Energy. Since then, the High-Level Dialogues have offered an effective platform for continued EU-Moldovan cooperation on priority energy issues. The 5th dialogue took place on 1-2 February 2024 in Chisinau. As a basis for further cooperation, a Joint Moldova-Energy Community and Commission Roadmap was endorsed, outlining the next steps and a timeline of further reforms covering the gas and electricity market and to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy capacity.
The EU has already provided €240 million in direct budget support to Moldova's energy system from 2021 to 2024 to help the most vulnerable people. In the 2023-2024 heating season, more than 750 000 households benefited from compensation through the EU-supported Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund (EVRF).
On 10-11 July 2025, Moldova’s bilateral screening meeting with the Commission was held in Brussels. Moldova presented their progress in aligning energy legislation with EU standards, addressing key areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy performance of buildings, energy labelling and ecodesign, gas and electricity markets, security of supply, methane, oil, governance, and cross-border cooperation. This meeting marks a pivotal step in Moldova’s EU accession journey, as the Commission will assess their legislative alignment and use the findings to inform future accession negotiations.
Georgia
Georgia has developed a stable and reliable energy sector and has been a member of the Energy Community since 2017. However, it remains heavily dependent on imported energy. While 81% of its electricity generation comes from domestic hydropower, almost all other energy sources, including gas, oil products and coal are imported. Georgia’s energy infrastructure is not directly connected with the EU and its electricity network is currently synchronised with Russia and Azerbaijan’s electricity grids.
The first EU-Georgia High-Level energy dialogue on 16 November 2023 focused on Georgia’s ongoing alignment with EU energy legislation, the development of energy infrastructure and connectivity, and the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
On legal and policy reforms, Georgia continues to align with EU energy acquis, including the EU’s directives on energy labelling and renewable energy.
Georgia continues to pursue significant infrastructure projects to enhance regional interconnections and energy security, notably the Black Sea submarine cable project.
Azerbaijan
The EU and Azerbaijan cooperate under the Memorandum of Understanding on a strategic partnership in the field of energy, signed by Commission President von der Leyen and Azerbaijani President Aliyev in Baku on 18 July 2022, in the context of the REPowerEU plan.
The partnership aims to increase gas supply from Azerbaijan to the EU via the Southern Gas Corridor.
Gas supplies have already increased by more than 40% from 2021 to 2024 and may continue to increase by the end of this decade with the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor.
The partnership also involves tracking and reducing methane emissions. Azerbaijan joined the Global Methane Pledge and its oil and gas company joined the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 in 2024.
Importantly, the partnership involves promoting energy efficiency gains and developing renewable energy sources, particularly offshore wind energy in the Caspian Sea. The WindEurope business federation and the Azerbaijani Renewable Energy Agency adopted a Memorandum of Understanding to this effect on 1 March 2024.
Azerbaijani authorities are working with Georgia, Romania, and Hungary to develop a ‘green energy corridor’, including high-voltage direct current transmission capacity under the Black Sea and possible hydrogen supply. A green energy agreement was adopted in Bucharest on 17 December 2022 by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary, in the presence of Commission President von der Leyen.
The European Commissioner for Energy and the Azerbaijani Energy Minister usually co-convene a regional ministerial meeting in Baku on an annual basis (the Southern Gas Corridor/Green Energy Advisory Council). The 2025 edition took place on 4 April.
Armenia
The EU and Armenia cooperate under the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement adopted in 2017, under which Armenia is committed to aligning with the Union acquis in the energy sector over the 2024-29 period. Together, they are also pursuing an ambitious partnership agenda to expand the scope of bilateral cooperation, including with new actions in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, grid infrastructure and cross-border interconnections.
These actions will enhance Armenia’s energy security and advance its energy transition in line with Armenia’s 2040 Energy Strategy and with the Global Pledge to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency gains worldwide by 2030.
One area of focus is nuclear safety at the existing Armenian Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor. DG Energy, in cooperation with the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG), is closely following the implementation of recommendations from the peer-reviewed stress test, and the development of a roadmap for its timely and safe decommissioning.
EU4Energy
The second phase of the regional EU4Energy programme, running from 1 December 2022 until 30 November 2026 aims to foster the low carbon and clean energy transition in the 6 Eastern partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The implementing partners are
- the Council of European Energy Regulators
- the International Energy Agency
- the Energy Community secretariat
A third programme phase is currently under preparation for a 2026 launch.
Documents
Related links
- News: Cooperation on gas, clean energy transition focus of EU-Azerbaijan Energy Dialogue in Brussels today (13/06/2025)
- News: Commissioner Jørgensen in Azerbaijan to reinforce energy cooperation (03/04/2025)
- Press release: Commission steps up support for Ukraine's energy security and paves the way for full market integration (24/02/2025)
- Press release: European Commission and Moldova agree on a 2-year Comprehensive Strategy for Energy Independence and Resilience and immediate support with the energy bills (04/02/2025)
- Press release: The EU offers emergency support to tackle the energy crisis in Moldova (27/01/2025)
- News: Commission and Member States confirm no gas supply concerns in the New Year (02/01/2025)
- News: President von der Leyen announces new EU support for Ukraine's energy security for the winter (19/09/2024)
- Speech: Remarks by Commissioner Simson at the EU-Moldova High-Level Energy Dialogue press conference (02/02/2024)
- News: Commissioner Simson in Tbilisi for EU-Georgia High-Level Energy Dialogue (15/11/2023)
- Press release: Commission welcomes Enel's donation of 3Sun solar PV panels to Ukraine (03/03/2023)
- News: President von der Leyen participates in high-level summit focused on energy security, energy partnerships and green energy development (16/12/2022)
- Statement: Statement by President von der Leyen with Azerbaijani President Aliyev (18/07/2022)
- Eastern Partnership (European External Action Service)
- Eastern partnership documents (CIRCA BC)
- EU-Ukraine Association Agreement
- Energy Community
- Ukraine Energy Support Fund (Energy Community)
- EU solidarity with Ukraine
- Southern Gas Corridor
- Global Methane Pledge
- EU-Armenia Comprehensive and enhanced Partnership Agreement
- EU4Energy programme