The 'EU NEIGHBOURS east' is the largest regional communication project under the 'EU OPEN Neighbourhood Programme: Communicating for a stronger partnership with citizen across the eastern neighbourhood’. The project's objective was to contribute to the improvement of public perceptions of the EU and a better understanding of European policies, as well as their impact on the daily lives of people in the Eastern partner countries.

As part of the EU's strategic approach to communication, the project placed strong emphasis on establishing a culture of transparency, dialogue and mutual understanding through working closely with media, communicating with audiences in social media and organising civic engagement activities with the ‘Young European Ambassadors’ (YEAs) initiative.

- To illustrate the impact of the EU's support on the daily lives of people in the Eastern Neighbourhood.
- To contribute to the improvement of knowledge and understanding of the EU’s policies and their related development, as well as cooperation activities in the Eastern partner countries.
- To strengthen the strategic approach to communication and enhance the capacity of beneficiaries and agencies implementing EU's support in their public diplomacy efforts in the region.
- To measure the support to, and where relevant, monitor the public perception of the EU in the Eastern partner countries.

- Improved perception and understanding of the EU and its support to the Eastern partner countries.
- Increased awareness among opinion makers and specific segments of the general public in the Eastern partner countries of the EU's policies and development and cooperation programmes/projects (bilateral, regional and cross-border).
- Increased outreach of the EU’s messages through media, social media and public diplomacy activities achieved through the ‘Stronger Together’ thematic communication campaigns.
- Effective strategic communication support provided to EU institutions and agencies (European Commission Headquarters, EU -Delegations and EU-funded projects) by increasing the reach and impact of EU messages in the region.
- A dynamic network of ‘Young European Ambassadors’ contributing to public awareness activities.
- An effective and content rich website ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ with its real-time/rapid news alert system.
- A fully-functioning internal communication platform ‘EUDIGITOOL’, that will contribute to the EU’s communication approach.
- Quantitative and qualitative opinion polling exercise carried out and reported during the 2015-2020 period.