Partnership for Good Governance
About the Partnership for Good Governance
The European Union and the Council of Europe are working together to promote the common values of rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and pluralist democracy across Europe and its neighbourhood.
In 2014, the European Union and the Council of Europe launched a common initiative: The Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) programme for the Eastern Partnership countries* to provide support in the implementation of the Eastern Partnership countries’ domestic reforms the fields of judiciary, fight against corruption and money laundering, combating discrimination and violence against women in line with the European standards
The PGG programme has three successive phases: PGG I (2015-2018) , PGG II (2019-2022), PGG III (2023-2027). Since 2017, the PGG has mainly focused on providing legal expertise and technical assistance in the fields of judiciary, fight against corruption, combating discrimination and violence against women as well as helping Eastern Partnership countries effectively implement domestic reforms in line with the Council of Europe standards in these areas. The PGG programme also focuses on protecting the rights of vulnerable groups and gender mainstreaming as cross-cutting issues.
Through implementing key judicial reforms, fighting against corruption, combating discrimination and violence against women as well as promoting gender equality, the Eastern Partnership countries will increase their citizens’ trust in the state, enhance long term stability in the region and create an investment-safe climate. The progress in the implementation of key reforms in the Eastern Partnership region has been made notably thanks to the PGG targeted support and the assistance based on cross-sectoral co-operation, including a combination of legal expertise, capacity-building, awareness-raising, peer-to-peer and legislative reviews, conferences and seminars, networking and training.
Progress has already been made under PGG II towards establishing independent anti-corruption bodies, moving judicial reforms forward, effectively combating discrimination and reinforcing gender equality.
The work continues under PGG III with a focus on sustaining the results achieved so far, providing more efficient and high-quality services and improving the citizens daily lives.PGG III 2023-2027 supports the Eastern Partnership countries’ in the implementation of their domestic reforms in the jointly defined priority areas and their progress on the European path, taking into consideration Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova’s candidate status and Georgia’s European perspective .
PGG III also contributes to the domestic implementation of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably to the goal 5 – achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, to the goal 10 – reducing inequality within and among countries, and to the goal 16 – promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
* While the Partnership for Good Governance does not include activities with the participation of the Belarusian authorities, activities may be organised with the representatives of Belarusian civil society and democratic forces as appropriate in line with the European Council Conclusions of February 2022 and the Decision of the Council of Europe Ministers’ Deputies of March 2022.
