The European Union’s relations with third countries (non-EU countries) are shaped by the policies on EU enlargement, which are currently focusing on the Western Balkans and Turkey, and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) with the countries to the east and south of the current EU borders. Based on these policies the European Commission provides targeted assistance to cooperation and development programmes in the form of grants and tenders and trade unions are eligible for many of them. The following programmes are of particular interest to the PERC and its organisations:
- European Neighbourhood Policies Instrument which is directed on cooperation and building partnership between the EU and ENP countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (and other countries outside the PERC scope).
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/funding_en.htm
- European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights aims at helping civil society to become an effective force for political reform and defence of human rights.
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/worldwide/eidhr/index_en.htm
- Instrument for pre-Accession (IPA) is directed on helping the candidate and potentials candidate countries for the EU accession..
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/financial_assistance/ipa/index_en.htm
- The Technical Assistance and Information Exchange, which is an instrument of DG Enlargement of the European Commission. TAIEX helps countries with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation. It also operates in the countries covered by the ENP and Russia.
