Brussels has called for more integration with countries including Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova with a view to them potentially becoming fully-fledged EU members. 

EU officials are due to meet on November 24 to discuss the possible accession of the six "Eastern European partners", which also includes Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

But some of the nations have come under fire from lawmakers on the continent over allegations of human rights abuse cases, which they say are not in line with the EU's values. 

Earlier this week, 47 members of the European Parliament denounced the treatment of a journalist imprisoned in Azerbaijan.

Afqan Muxtarli, an Azerbaijani national, was arrested in Georgia accused of illegal border crossing and smuggling - charges human rights activists say are “politically motivated”.

Mr Muxtarli is now awaiting trial in Azerbaijan and was reportedly denied contact with his family for three months before finally being allowed a visit from his brother.

And Mr Muxtarli’s lawyers say they have suffered “physical abuse” at the hands of Azerbaijani officers.

The former Soviet republic was ranked 162nd out of 180 countries for press freedom in Reporters Without Borders' 2017 World Press Freedom Index. 

In Belarus, there are widespread reports of “arbitrary detentions, searches, and interrogations” of anti-government activists. 

The landlocked nation is the only country in Europe to still use the death penalty, and Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the country’s elections in 2015 were “flawed” due to “insufficient transparency” and “significant irregularities with vote counting”.

And in Armenia, serious concerns have been raised over press independence and freedom of assembly.

According to HRW, prisons in the mountainous country are severely overcrowded and inmates are treated poorly.

The group also says there is widespread discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

The Eastern European partners are still a way off joining the EU, lawmakers have said they are in favour of “clear benchmarks for future cooperation” with the former Eastern Bloc states.

And the EU Parliament has previously said it was pleased with the “significant progress” made since the previous Eastern Partnership summit held in Riga in 2015.

But the EU has stipulated it will not deal with any Eastern Partnership country that does not respect EU values or “intimidates human rights defenders and journalists”.