This publication is the first scientific work of the EPLO regional branch which has been published with the support of a member of the Scientific Council of the branch, the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. The publication offers knowledge about the European Union which, as the authors believe, is imperative for comprehending the EU as a unique international player and its institutional setup and decision-making toolbox as well as also understanding the EU accession process specificities, etc.
This publication discusses the relations between the EU and its European neighborhood from the perspectives of the EU Eastern Partnership Initiative participant association countries, makes a comparative analysis between the Eastern Partnership Initiative and the Stabilization and Association Process for the Western Balkans, recommends practical measures for stepping up the EU enlargement track, describes the division of the legislative and the administrative competences between the EU and its member states and underlines the role of EU institutions in such competence-sharing.