CEPPS in the REAPPS Region

Since 2013, CEPPS has been helping countries in the REAPPS region strengthen and consolidate their democratic transitions by establishing more representative, accountable, and resilient political and electoral processes. Countries in the REAPPS region include the western Balkans, Central Europe, the Baltics, and former Soviet Union countries participating in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP).

CEPPS Overarching Goals:

CEPPS works with cross-border networks of young political and civic leaders, political parties, civil society organizations (CSOs), government officials, and election management bodies to develop and expand capacity to engage in civic and political participation, government oversight and transparency, and election administration.

CEPPS Approach:

Through the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN), CEPPS supports young leaders from political parties and civil society by providing professional development and skill-building, encouraging the exchange of best practices and experience across borders, leveraging local youth networks in member-driven initiatives, and advocating for the inclusion of youth voices in the policy development processes at the local, national, and international level.

CEPPS supports political and civic actors, including political parties, election administration bodies, and election monitoring organizations (EMOs) in their efforts to identify, monitor, and expose disinformation and combat anti-democratic influences on electoral and legislative processes.

CEPPS works to improve election administration capacity to deliver genuine elections despite increasing cybersecurity and information integrity risks by equipping election authorities with the skills to respond to malign interference in elections, building CSO capacity to detect and advocate for inclusive and transparent elections and supporting electoral justice systems to promote effective arbitration of electoral processes.

CEPPS Key Achievements in Georgia:

CEPPS equips the next generation of leaders to safeguard democracy in the REAPPS regions:

Launched EDYN, a coalition of more than 230 young political and civic leaders, from 22 Western Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, and EaP countries, with a shared commitment to democratic principles, as expressed in the EDYN Berlin Declaration signed in 2019.
Through leadership workshops, mentorship, skills trainings, and small grants supporting cross-border initiatives, provided EDYN members with the skills and resources to implement initiatives aligning with the network’s values.

CEPPS strengthens the REAPPS region’s electoral framework against modern threats:

Provided technical assistance to the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) in strengthening their internal policies and procedures and connected EMOs from the Western Balkans and Eurasia with their global counterparts on the topic of disinformation in election monitoring.
Launched a series of peer-to-peer capacity-building activities for election management bodies and political finance oversight institutions, focused on developing preventative skills to mitigate key cyber risks and vulnerabilities, and targeted assistance that meets the needs of beneficiaries to comply with international standards and practices of money in politics.
Established the Europe and Eurasia Regional EMB Working Group on Social Media, Disinformation and Electoral Integrity, dedicated to tackling the challenges presented by malign social media and disinformation to electoral integrity, further equipping stakeholders in combatting the evolving challenges presented by dis/misinformation to the electoral process. dedicated to tackling the challenges presented by malign social media and disinformation to electoral integrity, further equipping stakeholders in combatting the evolving challenges presented by dis/misinformation to the electoral process.