Southeast Europe and the Caucasus

EED supports partners in the countries marked above in blue.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the former Eastern Bloc there was a rapid spread of poverty in the all successor states of the Soviet Union as well as in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The eastern enlargement of the European Union has on the one hand resulted in an economical boom and the hope for improved living conditions of the poorer population groups in some Central and Eastern European countries. This development has on the other hand led to a new division line between East and West. For the population majority beyond the new EU-borders, the problems have not been solved. In the “new neighbouring countries”, the non-Member States of the EU, this has led more to a “Winner-Loser” view. In the countries of Southeast Europe and the Southern Caucasus the people continuously have to encounter and combat poverty, environmental destruction, unemployment, the collapse of education and health care system, violations of human rights as well as discrimination against women. Above all political as well as ethnic and social conflicts in these regions are still unsolved. The lack of hope and prospects for peaceful, just and sustainable growth and economic welfare and a still ineffective civil society causes passiveness and immobility amongst big parts of the population, naming only a few of the major problems. EED and its partners

Are involved in rural development and sustainable and organic agriculture
Support peace promotion and are active in conflict transformation
Are committed to improving basic social services in the field of education and health
Promote equal opportunities for women and men
Strengthen selfdetermination of the poor and disadvantaged
Support and are committed to the enforcement of human rights
And promote the development of civil society and participation in political and social processes.

Since 1997 EED has supported various partners and their programmes in Eastern Europe. The regional focus of the programme is oriented towards the poverty situation in the various countries and their recognition as a developing country in line with the criteria of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC). As a result, the concentration of the cooperation is on countries, such as Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia in Southeast Europe and, in particular, the three independent republics of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the Southern Caucasus.

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Southeast Europe and the Caucasus