The FINANCIAL — EU-Azerbaijan relations developed in 2014, with the Visa Facilitation Agreement and Readmission Agreement, and Protocol on participation in EU programmes and agencies, but there was regression in the democratic process and on human rights, according to the 2015 ENP Country Progress Report, taking stock of relations over 2014.
The report said the situation of Civil Society Organisations had deteriorated considerably, and a number of prominent Human Right Defenders were detained, travel bans issued and bank accounts of CSOs frozen.
In 2014, EU funding through the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) amounted to €21 million to support education and skills development, and provide support to civil society, according to EU Neighbourhood Info Centre.
Among recommendations for the year to come are improving the situation of democracy and human rights, and creating a more conducive political and legal environment for civil society.
Discussion about this post