The future of European neighbourhood policy and the role of regional cooperation in the Black Sea area

Abstract

This paper studies the ‘regional dimension’ of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in the Black Sea area. Specifically, it analyses the emerging forms of regional cooperation and their interrelation with ENP. It has been demonstrated that the different regional cooperation initiatives, of varying quality and importance for the countries of the area, have been experiencing substantial change due to the dual challenge of dealing with their immediate environment and European integration. Alongside established regional organizations, like the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), new types of regional cooperation, such as the Black Sea Synergy (BSS), have also been growing in importance, not least because of the dominant role of the European Union (EU) and its wish to make a success of the ENP. Finally, the paper makes concrete proposals regarding the possibility of transforming and upgrading both the existing regional cooperation bodies and ENP.