Thanks to an initiative by Poland and Sweden, the Union for the Mediterranean could soon have a little sister, the “eastern initiative” aiming at reinforcing ties with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The objective of the plan is to allow those states to work on a multilateral basis with the EU on issues such as migration, the environment and free trade. According to the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski the countries involved have a “natural membership perspective”. Although Mr Sikorski probably has the greatest intentions, his declaration could be counterproductive. After all, the EU has gone from 15 to 27 states in the last 5 years and is undergoing a persistent institutional crisis. It may be a little premature to be promising membership to struggling countries such as Belarus or Azerbaijan without creating unnecessary frustration in their populations.