Research proposal call h2020 europe as a global actor_eastern partnership (1)

1. Blv. Carol I, nr. 19 (Corp I)
Iași - 700517, România
TEL +40.232.20.1318 | FAX: +40.232.2018.18,
E-mail: studeur@uaic.ro | www.cse.uaic.ro
RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL
Call: Europe as a global actor. The European Union and the Eastern Partnership
Deadline: 28.05.2015
Information:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/1060-
int-08-2015.html#tab2
Proposed research theme (title will be defined subsequently, after discussions in the network):
“Resilience capacity, institutions and sustainable development in the Eastern EU`s
peripherality (EU’s Eastern neighbourhood). A multidisciplinary approach: economic, socio-
cultural and political”
Relevance of proposed topic:
1. The perspective of EU's relations with its Eastern neighborhood depends not only on EU
action at internal or external level by adapting policies to the problems of the East or by the
geopolitical context of the region, but especially by the Eastern EU neighbourhood countries'
ability to adapt to new circumstances, to integrate, at a large scale, in the economy and
society, formal and informal European values (Europeanization process);
2. The existence of a rapidly changing external environment impose the increasing capacity of
continuously adaptability of states/regions ;
3. The concept that best reflects the potential of these countries to strengthen their democratic
systems, generate economic, societal, political transformations, which to support a
sustainable development process and to adapt its economy and society to European
standards (conditions of which depends the future of political stability in the region, the
future of EU external relations in its Eastern neighborhood, and its role in the region,
implicitly the prospects of EU as a global actor) is the concept of 'resilience';
4. The capacity of resilience depends essentially on the formal and informal institutions
that define a system and determines how efficiently the system manage the processes of
economy, it is able to expand the sources of innovation and long-term development, to
absorb shocks, to catching up the gaps, to overcome "path dependence";
5. Although it has become a key concept in European policies, the concept of resilience is not
enough developed in the theoretical and methodological literature, which are really needed;
6. EU's Eastern neighborhood is a little known area, current databases and existing studies not
provide a real and integrated knowledge of economic and spatial phenomena.
Correlation with call's objectives
1. Analysis of resilience capacity, of potential and vulnerabilities of the countries included in the
Eastern Partnership to go through a process of Europeanization and to adapt to changing
situations will provide a better understanding at European level of the region and its specific
problems; EU can thus offer a better response by adjusting internal and external policies;
2. The research could generate adequate tools for economic and institutional restructuring
policies in these countries, for more efficient and faster integration of Europeanization
elements and placing on a path of sustainable development and convergence with the
European model.

2. Blv. Carol I, nr. 19 (Corp I)
Iași - 700517, România
TEL +40.232.20.1318 | FAX: +40.232.2018.18,
E-mail: studeur@uaic.ro | www.cse.uaic.ro
Area of research: at least Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine and neighboring EU countries (such as
Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania), which could/must play a key role in the
development of relationships and in the diffusion of the Europeanization and sustainable
development processes (functional integration process), reason for which the building of the
resilience capacity is relevant and important for the future of the EU's external relations in its
Eastern neighborhood); desirable also Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia to be studied.
Partners:
- At least one partner from the six countries of Eastern Partnership;
- Partners from the EU countries, with expertise in the field;
- At least one partner from the countries at the Eastern border of the EU
Main objectives:
1. Fundamental research: methodological developments in assessing resilience capacity;
2. Setting up of databases, needed for the establishment of development programs/
strategies;
3. Applied research: analysis of resilience capacity in mentioned countries;
4. Develop monitoring and guidance tools for resilience capacity
Main results:
1. Theoretical and empirical studies;
2. Databases;
3. Debates;
4. Transformations of perception and the understanding of resilience capacity in the analyzed
countries;
5. Tools and new methodological approaches;
6. Recommendations of European policies
What we have to do:
1. Identify partners and formation of the network;
2. Create the team of the project (European projects experience and results/interest in the
research area)
3. Identify a coordinator (universities/centers with relevant results in the field, which confirm
by previous results the ability to manage large research programs at European level – ex.: );
4. Scientific substantiation of the project;
5. Elaboration / collection of coordinator and partners documents;
6. Completion of the call proposal.
Obviously, the above information is only a starting point for discussions, with the purpose of
evaluating our common interest.
Another option, on the same line of research, could be the theme:
An integrated approach of the Eastern peripherality. New member countries vs. EU’s
neighbourhood countries.
The theme could be focused on specific issues of Eastern peripherality countries (economic,
institutional/political, spatial), with the purpose to provide a better understanding of the problems they

3. Blv. Carol I, nr. 19 (Corp I)
Iași - 700517, România
TEL +40.232.20.1318 | FAX: +40.232.2018.18,
E-mail: studeur@uaic.ro | www.cse.uaic.ro
face and their potential to reduce gaps and generate a functional integration process, as support for
diminishing the border effects and developing a common area of security and sustainable development.
The same area of research: EU’s Eastern countries, EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood countries.
Waiting your feedback and your opinions about the directions/contributions in which you could be
implied in the project,
Prof. Gabriela Carmen Pascariu
Director, Center for European Studies