Abstract

Cooperation with non-EU countries is a central migration policy priority for the EU, and since 2008 eight Mobility Partnerships have been signed. Given the importance attached to this policy area, it is essential that policy-makers understand how EU external migration policy works in practice. However, the literature on the implementation of EU external migration policy is very limited. This article addresses this deficit, by conducting a conceptual assessment of implementation dynamics in the Mobility Partnerships. At this stage in the implementation process, it is not yet possible to assess whether the Mobility Partnerships have contributed to mobility, which is their stated aim. Instead, the literature on implementation is applied in a “backward” fashion, starting with the implementation dynamics at play. The article concludes that standard analytical frameworks for assessing implementation processes will need to be adapted for “new” policy tools featuring elements of flexibility or voluntary participation, in order to accurately capture implementation processes. Future research should adopt a critical, human rights-centred approach to the issue of implementation of EU external migration policy.

Highlights

  • The year 2015 has been a powerful reminder that migrants will take desperate and extraordinary measures to try to reach Europe

  • There are several unknowns: a future research agenda on implementation of EU external migration policy should focus on the disposition of implementing officials, the nature of public opinion, and the interactions between the actors involved in implementation

  • The analysis found that the voluntary nature of the Mobility Partnership instrument may eliminate some of the obstacles identified by the implementation literature, in particular in the member states

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Summary

Introduction

The year 2015 has been a powerful reminder that migrants will take desperate and extraordinary measures to try to reach Europe. This has spawned a sizeable literature on EU external migration policy, with scholars examining policy content and policy-making dynamics At the same time the literature on implementation of EU external migration policy has remained extremely limited (Wunderlich, 2013a; 2013b; 2012). The conclusion argues that frameworks for assessing implementation will need to be adapted when used for studying “new” policy tools, and that future research on implementation of EU external migration policy should adopt a critical, human rights-centred approach

The “Mobility” Partnerships
Defining and Assessing Implementation
Methodology
Tractability of the Problem
Nature of Change Required
Clarity of Policy Objectives
Financial and Organisational Resources Available for Implementation
Relationship between Implementing Agencies
Disposition of Implementing Officials
Implementation Context
Conclusion
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