European Neighbourhood Policy Research Articles

Recalibrating the Local Lens: Drivers and Transformations of the European Union's Territorial Agenda in the Southern Neighbourhood

AbstractSince its inception, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has incorporated a local lens in its engagement with Southern partners. However, the capacity of local authorities to enact the political autonomy expected by the European Union (EU) is distant from reality. The article mobilizes the concept of hegemonic narratives in the cases of Morocco and Tunisia to problematize the set of discourses that establish the common understanding of ‘the local’ in the ENP's territorial agenda. We present three narratives that became hegemonic across ENP implementation: ‘the local’ as an agent of development, ‘the local’ as an agent of democratization and ‘the local’ as a provider of resilience. The evidence presented allows us to conclude that ‘the local’ acts as an empty signifier in the EU's territorial agenda in its Southern Neighbourhood. Whilst these narratives have certainly served centralizing trends, they have also been mobilized by or in support of emerging actors that contest them.

Scoping the EU’s health impact in the Southern Neighbourhood: Building resilience and trust

Abstract Background The European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) focuses on security, migration, and economic stability. Strengthening health systems can contribute to these aims by building local resilience and institutions; however, little is known about the EU’s health policy and impacts in the Southern Neighborhood (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco). This paper examines the role of health in the ENP and what is known about the health-related impacts of EU actions in this region. Methods This is a qualitative case study of the EU’s ENP commitments, outcomes, and impacts (2004-2024) in nine middle-income Southern Neighborhood countries. A scoping review of empirical evidence included 5 scholarly databases and grey literature published. Retrieved publications and the ENP documents were thematically analysed with WHO’s health systems building blocks and the alignment between the ENP and practice was assessed. Results ENP health actions have evolved from public health and selected communicable diseases (2004), to health service delivery, vaccine supply, and occupational health (2021). The review included 19 publications (2004-2024). Publications most often addressed the financing (n = 14 papers) and service delivery (n = 9) aspects of health systems (not mutually exclusive), and only once addressed workforce and health information. Publications addressed mostly intentional EU health actions in the region; 4 papers reported unintentional effects. Conclusions The limited scope of health actions in the ENPs suggests health may be instrumentalised to pursue the EU’s security and stability goals. The type of EU health actions reported most often in the literature were consistent with the ENP health priorities. There is no systematic evaluation of the impacts of the EU’s health-related commitments in the ENPs. To build resilience and trust in the region, future EU action should support a range of WHO building blocks and mitigate potential negative effects. Key messages • The EU’s health commitments in the European Neighborhood Policy evolved from public health & communicable diseases (2004), to health service delivery, vaccine supply, & occupational health (2021). • There is no systematic empirical evaluation of the impacts of the EU’s health-related commitments in the European Neighborhood Policy.

Onwards and ...eastwards? EU-Azerbaijan relations as an example of crisis-driven agenda-setting within the framework of the European neighbourhood policy

This paper uses qualitative discourse analysis to investigate how the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020 and Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have impacted bilateral relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan in the realm of security and energy policy? The study takes into account geo-political developments in the aftermath of the 2018 Agreement on New Partnership Priorities, as well as contemplates the future of the European Neighbourhood Policy. In this context, the paper illuminates the interplay of EU external governance, agenda-setting, and crisis concepts. In essence, the paper asserts that the EU responds swiftly to crises, such as the Ukraine and Karabakh conflicts, through actions like mediation, investments, and deepening bilateral relations, while often overlooking the root causes. Additionally, the EU consistently emphasizes long-term strategies and energy policies, with security concerns becoming more prominent during crisis periods.

Recent Developments in the European Union’s Involvement in Mediterranean Fisheries Management

Abstract This article examines the attention that the European Union (EU) currently pays to fisheries management in the Mediterranean Sea. The Union’s action in this marine area is complex. On the one hand, the EU is present through its Common Fisheries Policy, as the coast of eight Member States border the Mediterranean Sea. On the other hand, the EU cooperates with the other Mediterranean countries through its European Neighbourhood Policy as well as with two regional fisheries management organisations with a mandate over Mediterranean living marine resources, namely, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

PROJECT ARCHETYPES OF THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA: EXPLORING THE OCCASIONAL ENGAGEMENT PATTERNS OF THE EUROPEAN SOUTHERN NEIGHBOURHOOD

This paper examines the project-based pattern of European Southern Neighbourhood engagement in the European Research Area. Thereby, this study informs about the role of the European Research Area in advancing EU objectives and ambitions in the enduringly salient European Neighbourhood Policy context. The research question that drives this study is: What project archetypes’ pattern denotes the European Southern Neighbourhood’s participation in the pan-European space intended to facilitate the free flow of talent and ideas? The guiding hypothesis anticipates that the prevailing archetype corresponds to an encounter lasting for one project, and prolonged engagement throughout several consecutive projects is a rarity. This enquiry into the relationality weaved by research collaboration formulates four archetypes. The main empirical material employed to model and study the four archetypes is semi-structured interviews with Europe-based project managers. Insights offered by the leading figures of projects funded by Framework Programme 7 and Horizon 2020 reveal how multilateral research-driven ties contribute to post-Westphalian external action aspirations. Devised analytic narratives attest to the performances of the EU science diplomacy, for example, in the form of technoscientific gifts as well as sharing and jointly developing kn/own/ables. Expert experiences of co-developing research-intensive solutions with Morocco- and Tunisia-based colleagues to address the most pressing challenges faced by the EU and its Southern neighbours are resourceful. They offer new insights into the patterned routines that support the implementation of such supranationally steered governance frameworks as the European Research Area, including its external action and science diplomacy dimensions. Almost half of the studied projects correspond to the archetype with one EU-funded project interaction. This confirms the rather sporadic or ad hoc relational ties of the European Southern Neighbourhood to the European Research Area, facilitated by various Europe-based competence centres.

Exploring EU Culture Policy towards Eastern Partnership Countries

This article delves into the intricate interplay of culture, soft power, and international relations, with a particular focus on the European Union's (EU) cultural diplomacy efforts within Eastern Partnership countries. It illuminates how culture serves as a potent force in shaping societal development and influencing international perceptions and relationships, drawing on Joseph Nye's conceptualization of soft power. Through a comprehensive historical analysis and examination of case studies, the research unveils the nuanced role of cultural diplomacy within the broader framework of soft power and public diplomacy. Specifically, it scrutinizes the EU's cultural diplomacy initiatives in Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine - highlighting their significance in diplomatic relations and regional cooperation, particularly within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and Eastern Partnership context. The study advocates for strategic enhancements in funding mechanisms, support for local institutions, and alignment with EU values to bolster the effectiveness of cultural diplomacy initiatives. Ultimately, it emphasizes the importance of an adaptive and inclusive approach to cultural policy, underscoring the need for continuous collaboration to foster resilient and mutually beneficial EU-Eastern Partnership relationships.

EU’S SOUTHERN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY TOWARDS LIBYA AND SYRIA

The EU is actively involved in the dynamics of the states in its immediate vicinity to make them more stable. This involvement requires a high financial effort. In this paper I will analyse how the European Union (EU) implemented and intends to continue the neighbourhood policy with two states that went through the “Arab Spring” and became conflict zones. For the states in question, namely Libya and Syria, EU provides humanitarian aid and wishes them to recover from their failed state. The main objectives pursued by the EU within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) are stabilization of neighbouring countries, promotion of EU key interests and facilitation of regional cooperation. In addition to the neighbourhood policy instrument, between the EU and the two states there is a significant increase in trade relations from year to year. This increase in economic exchanges also leads to a deepening of bilateral relations. This rapprochement can transpose models of good governance from the EU to these failed states, and over time can create an environment conducive to state reconstruction, where the citizen is at the centre of attention and the rulers’ own interests are no longer at the forefront. The purpose of the paper is to analyse the EU southern neighbourhood policy, with an emphasis on Libya and Syria. The starting hypothesis of the research is that the EU’s ENP aid to Libya and Syria ensures minimal stability for the two countries and a better neighbourhood for it. As a working methodology, I will use the qualitative analysis of documentary materials.

СТАНОВЛЕННЯ ТА РОЗВИТОК СХІДНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ ЄС: УКРАЇНА ТА МОЛДОВА

The article examines the political initiative of the European Union – the European Neighborhood Policy. The dynamics of relations between the EU member states and their neighbors have been monitored. The role of Poland in the perspective of further cooperation and potential expansion of the borders of economic interaction of neighboring EU countries is characterized. The documents and the European Neighborhood Policy Strategy were analyzed separately. The consolidating factor of Poland is singled out as an opportunity for Ukraine and Moldova to join the European Community, and for the EU to expand its economic borders and integrate new potential partners. The purpose of the article is to analyze the cooperation of the European Union with potential partners who may become members of the European community in the future. The main task of this article is to study the formation and development of the Eastern policy of the European Union on the example of Ukraine and Moldova. Another important issue is the EU’s eastward expansion. It is hindered by the imperial ambitions of Russia, which considers Eastern Europe its sphere of influence and is ready by any means to stop the integration of these countries into Europe. Only Moscow’s intervention is delaying the further expansion of the EU’s economic borders. For a long time, the people of Ukraine and Moldova have been asking who is better: Russia or the EU? Here it is worth comparing the material situation of, for example, Poland and neighboring Moldova and Ukraine, and the choice will become obvious. It was concluded that the European Neighborhood Policy is a rather effective mechanism for implementing the economic, social and political factors of the expansion of the EU borders to the East. Additionally, this initiative can serve as an incentive for modernization and further democratization of future member states. The main obstacle is the Russian Federation, which seeks to keep these countries in its orbit or to join Russia altogether. In the future, Europe must unite all possible efforts to confront this enemy of the democracies of the world.

The role of soft law instruments in framing and implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy

The role of soft law instruments in framing and implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy

Cross-border and regional cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union: historical and legal aspect

The article examines the historical and legal aspects of cross-border and regional cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union. It was traced that Ukraine’s intentions regarding the development of relations with the European Union were first enshrined in the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and subsequently recorded in the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States on the one part, and Ukraine, on the other part. In addition, the requirements for cross-border and regional cooperation were defined in the Action Plan European Union - Ukraine “European Neighborhood Policy” and later became more detailed in the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one part, and Ukraine, on the other part. Although the analyzed normative legal acts of Ukraine have become somewhat oriented towards the norms of the law of the European Union in the field of cross-border cooperation and regional cooperation, they still need improvement.

European neighbourhood policy, the Bologna model and EU-Egyptian cooperation in Higher Education

ABSTRACT This article analyses the EU’s neighbourhood policy towards Egypt. Using the higher education sector as a case, it explores the EU’s policy to induce reforms through governance transfers and Egypt’s response to this offer. The main questions are: (1) To what extent do EU policy objectives and governance approaches influence the reform of higher education in Egypt? (2) Which factors facilitate or hinder the reform process at various levels of intervention? Theoretically, the research draws on concepts of EU policy and governance transfers to partner states and the significance of contextual factors for reforms within these states. Methodologically, the analysis applies a qualitative approach based on official documents and semi-structured expert interviews with European and Egyptian officials. The analysis suggests that factors on both sides of the cooperation contribute to limiting policy implementation: the overly complex and rather unspecified governance concepts of the EU and the difficulties in Egypt to implement policies through decentralized action.

The phenomenon of migration and the national security of the Republic of Moldova

The article analyzes the links between migration and security, the tasks that ensure the effective functioning of the national security system, witch include: sovereignty – ensuring the constitutional rights and freedoms of the individual; maintaining territorial integrity and the ability to defend border areas; identifying forecasting and taking measures to combat crime ensuring a comfortable and safe life for the citizens of the state; development and implementation of anti-terrorism programs; international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime, as well as control over the export/import of goods, control of weapons of mass destruction; implementing measures to combat illegal migration; implementing measures for the efficient and rational use and reproduction of natural resources; promoting the development and implementation of safe production technologies; ensuring information security. Both the European neighborhood policy and the framework of the Eastern Partnership include a wide range of areas of cooperation, incluiding in security and migration issues, as well as through the developed projekts. Connecting the national security agenda from the new conceptual perspectives on migration is a strategic opportunity for the foreign policy of the Republic of Moldova, but also an imperative for internal social-economic policy.

European integration and political party logos: A ‘visual Europeanization’?

European integration scholars have paid little attention to the visual dimension of Europeanization. We fill this gap by analysing how European Union integration reshapes political parties’ most visible symbols: their logos. We examine 579 party logos in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe before and after countries became European Union members, obtained the status of candidates or joined the European neighbourhood policy. Our difference-in-differences models show that European Union integration corresponds to a decrease in extremist and nationalist symbols as well as national flag colours. This ‘visual Europeanization’ process, prompted by population ecology and rebranding, cannot be solely explained by democratization or economic growth. Our analysis considers potential mechanisms that explain this correlation, including Europarty membership and normative diffusion, and discusses implications for the Europeanization literature.

The Eastern Neighbours and EU Security Policy: A Differentiated Integration Perspective

The EU’s decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova a candidate country status and the recognition of Georgia’s European perspective in June 2022 has significant effects for both the EU’s enlargement and security and defence policies. So far, ‘hard’ security issues have played little role in the framing of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the Association Agreements (AAs) with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Their full integration into EU security and defence arrangements will thus require considerable strategy-making and implementation efforts. This article discusses the extent to which existing external Differentiated Integration (DI) constellations can be seen as ‘building blocks’ for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia’s prospective full integration into the EU’s security and defence architecture. It is shown that, in legal and practical terms, such DI constellations are conducive to the deepening of these countries’ integration with the EU in the security and defence domain. From the political viewpoint, the focus on DI with the new accession countries may, however, be (mis)used as a substitute for fullscale integration into the EU security and defence architecture. We, nonetheless, suggest several pilot domains that can be used to test the limits of new accession countries’ DI with the Union. EU security and defence policy, EU enlargement policy, accession, European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), Russia’s war against Ukraine, European Defence Agency, European Defence Fund, Permanent Structured Cooperation

The External Incentives Model Embedded: Evidence From the European Union's Eastern Neighbourhood

AbstractThe external incentives model (EIM) proved highly compelling in explaining Europeanization and rule adoption in countries from Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. Building on the EIM, the present article seeks to contribute along three key objectives. First, it proposes to re‐evaluate the EIM for the Eastern European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) region: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Second, the paper introduces a conceptual distinction between domestic transformation costs and regulatory costs. Third, it integrates and evaluates the EIM in a broader framework, incorporating domestic and alternative international conditions. The paper combines theory‐guided case comparisons and panel data analysis, based on a dataset with evidence collected from the Eastern ENP countries. The study corroborates the EIM and finds that higher domestic transformation costs lead to lower levels of democratic development and a positive cost–benefit balance of transformation, on the other hand, tends to encourage democratic consolidation in the Eastern ENP region.

Newcomers in EU foreign policy: the Committee of the Regions as an EU para-diplomatic actor

ABSTRACT Has the Committee of the Regions (CoR) any role in the EU’s foreign policy? We conceptualize the CoR as an EU para-diplomatic actor, and we explore the evolving and multi-faceted role of the CoR in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) by employing a two-fold approach: first, from an institutional perspective, we examine the role, capacity, and limits of the CoR’s engagement. Second, from a functional dimension, we investigate the added value of the CoR’s initiatives in the ENP and the EU foreign policy more generally. We show that the CoR has managed to expand its room for manoeuvre acting ‘below the radar’ by establishing communication channels and promoting subtle ways of mediation, especially in conflicts of high intensity whereby the EU and national authorities fail to deliver. Our findings contribute to the more comprehensive understanding of both the EU foreign policy and the CoR’s positioning in the EU institutional architecture.

Regional Transformation as Reterritorialisation: Examining the Distorted Image of EU-ropeanisation

The European Union’s (EU) mission to promote its idea of European-ness across the continent led to its eastern enlargements and later the Eastern Partnership of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Along the way, this mission encountered competing norms and regional integration efforts shaped by sociocultural and historical ties connecting state, society and territory. These ties inform the barriers to Europeanisation and the backsliding from EU-managed policy reforms. They can illuminate where the EU’s self-image and constructed European identity do not reflect perspectives abroad or those of EU member countries. Such inconsistencies in the EU-constructed identity that shaped related policy mechanisms prevented sustainable regional transformation and integration. Further policy integration and future EU enlargement remain strong possibilities, as does the risk of basing the next generation of policy mechanisms on a distorted image of the EU and its capacity to transform. In this article, I apply a novel critical theory perspective on the entwined processes of de- and reterritorialisation to this context, and argue that this perspective clarifies and informs the EU’s aim to transform and unite Europe.

Mind the gap! Organized hypocrisy in EU cooperation with Southern neighbor countries on international protection

Abstract The European Union (EU) has reacted to the migration crises of the last decade with growing externalization of migration management to neighbor countries often accused of not respecting human rights and individual liberties. Focusing on EU cooperation with the Southern neighborhood, as defined within the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) framework, this paper investigates the recent developments in the EU's external migration policies, demonstrating that there is a gap between EU discourses and policy instruments identified by the EU as strategic tools of the European migration and asylum policy (MAP). Five Southern neighbor countries (SNCs) have been selected, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, to assess the extent to which the EU, when cooperating on migration and asylum issues, places international protection at risk instead of playing the role of humanitarian actor in accordance with the ideals and principles it defends. The research critically analyzes the EU's cooperation with SNCs concerning migration, as developed via international agreements, action plans, and mobility partnerships under the umbrella of the ENP. In particular, it explores the incompatibility between the European MAP instruments and international protection. MAP, the qualitative analysis shows, represents a clear mismatch between EU talk and action, outlining another case of organized hypocrisy.

Dealing with Migration at an Institutional Level: The Collective Securitization Actions of the European Union

Abstract Migration has been placed high on the agenda by the EU as being securitized related to policy changes as well as border security. Growing numbers of irregular migrants have paved the way for a systematic coordination and a consequent regional response in the region; therefore, dedicated security-based policies have been revised. This research analyzes the response that the EU put in action to the irregular migration due to the Arab Uprisings within the scope of collective securitization, and answers the question of why the EU has needed to respond to the demographic changes in the neighborhood as a supra-national securitizing actor. The empirical part of the research will be limited to the policy changes in the European Neighborhood Policy and the Schengen Agreement within the framework of institutional response between 2011 and 2015.

Three decades of relations between the European Union and Moldova – from cooperation to the membership perspective

The research objective of the article is to analyze the evolution of bilateral relations between the European Union and Moldova from the 1990s to the present, with a particular focus on the participation of the Republic of Moldova in the European Neighborhood Policy and Eastern Partnership, as well as the signing and implementation of the Association Agreement. Contemporary challenges and threats (including Russian aggression against Ukraine) have had a significant impact on the security of the EU, as well as the development of relations between the EU and neighboring countries. In particular, the prospect of membership in the EU structures was opened up to Moldova (and Ukraine). In the paper, the author poses a research hypothesis that despite the fact that Moldova has been granted the status of an EU candidate country, the republic still has a significant internal problem, the lack of solution to which may largely postpone the commencement of accession negotiations or even hinder EU-Moldova cooperation.