European Neighbourhood Policy Research Articles

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.

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.

Managing networks: Cohesion and fluidity in EU climate cooperation with European neighbours

The European Union (EU) is increasingly relying on regional policy networks to govern climate change outside its borders, both in the areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Although the functioning of such policy networks has consequences for climate policy in participating countries, little is known about the role of such networks. This article focuses on the example of climate cooperation with the European Neighbourhood Policy region, conceptualizing the EU as a network manager. Using a novel dataset on climate networks in the European Neighbourhood Policy region for the period 2013–2017, we show that the EU uses climate networks for multiple purposes. The results suggest that the EU uses climate networks not only to mitigate the risks associated with climate change, but also to manage varying contexts in the region.

The EU and the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: The Forty-Four-Day War and Its Aftermath

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has long troubled the European Union’s (EU’s) neighbourhood. As a latecomer to the region, the EU played no role in the conflict in the 1990s. The subsequent establishment of bilateral relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan, including a closer engagement through the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) did not herald any significant changes in this respect. The bilateral relations with both countries advanced despite the military build-up, hostile rhetoric and periodic fighting. When another war erupted in September 2020, the EU was strikingly absent from the international scene in stark contrast to its rhetoric and pledges of the last two decades. Meanwhile, the Russian-brokered ceasefire did not resolve the conflict and led to further aggression demanding a more hands-on approach by the EU. In a welcome development, the EU undertook various efforts to engage the parties in a continuous dialogue for resolving the outstanding issues. In this context, the article argues for a more enhanced role of the EU in resolving this conflict based on a principled position in line with EU values and respect for international law. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia, Azerbaijan, EU, European Neighbourhood Policy, OSCE Minsk Group

«Eastern Partnership» project: current problems and development prospects

The issues of developing the Eastern Partnership, created on the initiative of the European Union to develop integration ties with the countries of the post-Soviet space, were considered. The article analyzes the eastern dimension of European Neighborhood Policy – the Eastern Partnership (SC) based on official government documents and expert assessments. The CCS mainly refers to socio-economic cooperation. The initiative will involve EU member states and six Eastern European partner countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The Eastern Partnership is aimed at the conclusion of association agreements by the countries of the post-Soviet space with the EU. The cooperation program included the states of Eastern Europe and Transcaucasia. Cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership is aimed at such priority areas as economic development, strengthening of management institutions; development of contacts in the energy sector, expansion of contacts between people. In relations with partner countries, the EU looks at each individual country from the perspective of a differentiated approach policy. The main tasks of the SC are the rapprochement and deepening of cooperation between the states of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus with the European Union, the creation of conditions for the further promotion of political community and economic integration both between the EU and the SC States and between the Rs States. The article analyzes the current stage of development of the» Eastern Partnership « and the main results of the participation of these states in the program.

Influence of West on Post-Soviet Space: Progressive Movement to Change Cultural Code

The European Union is one of the external players in the post-Soviet space, considering the region from the point of view of a rich resource base and a new affordable market. Having taken shape as a subject of international relations in 1992, the EU began to spread its influence in the countries of the post-Soviet space. The article examines the evolution of the approaches of the European Union to independent republics. Initially, the post-Soviet space was perceived by the leaders of the European Union as one whole, and the mechanisms and instruments of influence were universal for all countries of the region (Partnership and Cooperation Agreements; TACIS technical assistance program). Due to the failure of a unified approach, the EU has begun to develop programs and strategies based on the specifics of individual regions of the post-Soviet space: Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, Central Asia. As a result of the targeted impact on states, taking into account regional peculiarities and challenges, the European Union has managed to achieve some success. The obvious victory of the European neighborhood policy was the emergence of an “associated trio” with the participation of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, who made their “European choice”. The countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia are not interested in adapting to European values and standards, but they have a positive attitude to the investment investments of the European Union in the regions and are open to expanding trade and economic ties, which indicates the partial participation of the EU in the processes of the post-Soviet space.

EUROPEAN UNION-UKRAINE RELATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY

As a result of the enlargement policy of the European Union, the European Neighbourhood Policy was established in order to secure the borders and entered into force in 2004. However, changes were made in the European Neighbourhood Policy due to the failure to achieve the expected results over time. In this context, the policy was divided into two parts, known as the Union for the Mediterranean (2008) and the Eastern Partnership (2009). Thus, a step was taken toward regionalizing the European Neighbourhood Policy to make it more effective. The aim of this study is to analyze the function of the European Neighbourhood Policy, one of the foreign policy instruments of the European Union, within the framework of European Union-Ukraine relations. In this context, the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership are primarily discussed, then the European Union-Ukraine relations are analyzed. The study concludes that the European Neighbourhood Policy’s contribution to relations between European Union and Ukraine is insufficient and the policy should be revised urgently to increase this contribution over time.

An Analysis of Georgia-EU Relations through the Expectation of Candidacy Status

Since Georgia's inclusion in the European Neighborhood Policy program in 2006, Georgia-EU relations have been in a stable and gradual development process, taking into account the geopolitical balances in the region. During this process, the European Union provided Georgia with a political framework for integration, both at the institutional and legislative levels. Georgia, on the other hand, concluded this process positively, which resulted in the Association Agreement, and succeeded in taking its relations with the EU to the next level. This rapid reform process, which brought Georgia closer to the EU acquis, has also made the European Union the most important and influential external actor in the country. In this context, as opposed to Moldova and Ukraine, the EU's unwillingness to grant a candidate status to Georgia has created a great disappointment in Georgia. The primary goal of this article is to assess the effects of the EU Commission's decision to link Georgia's EU candidacy status to the reform conditions, following Georgia’s application in 2022. Using qualitative research methods and utilizing a variety of primary and secondary sources, this study examines the problems encountered in the implementation of reforms on political polarization, oligarchization, and the protection of vulnerable minorities, which we consider will be the most difficult to resolve. The conclusions of the study are important in terms of the steps that Georgia should take to fulfill the EU candidacy status requirements, the technical assistance that the EU can provide to Georgia in this regard, and the possible implications of this process on Georgia’s politics.

Legal and practical aspects of international cooperation of territorial communities through the prism of the implementation of the european neighbourhood policy

The legal grounds for establishing cooperation between local self-government bodies and territorial communities of foreign countries, which are subjects of cross-border cooperation are considered in the article.
 It has been established that local self-government bodies carry out their activities in accordance with and within the limits of current legislation. The basic international legal acts and legal acts of Ukraine, which regulate the process of formation and functioning of local self-government bodies, define the list of functions and powers exercised by such bodies independently, determine the role and place of territorial communities in the development of cross-border cooperation.
 The main factors that influence nowadays the formation and effective functioning of local communities are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the communities located within the Transcarpathian region on the state border with the member countries of the European Union. It has been established that such a geographical position, in turn, leads to the intensification of international and cross-border cooperation and contributes to the further sustainable development of territories.
 The subject of Ukraine's participation in the programs of the European Neighbourhood Policy (hereinafter - ENP) is disclosed, the main advantages are characterized and the existing shortcomings are identified. It has been studied that Ukraine takes part in a number of cross-border programs within the framework of the ENP and contributes both to the Europeanization of Ukrainian society and to an increase in the standard of living of the population in the border areas of countries that are partners in cross-border projects through international technical assistance projects.
 Another opportunity for the participation of local communities in the development of international cooperation, which is membership in the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is considered. A special role is given here to cities in communities and the wide possibilities of establishing municipal partnerships and the formation of national and international associations. It has been proven that the creation of such organizational forms of international cooperation and the participation of territorial communities in them is an additional stimulus for the development and implementation of joint international programs and projects between municipalities.

21세기 초반 유럽연합의 공간 확장 속 프랑스와 독일 간 지정학적 갈등과 공존

This study consists to analyze the conflicts on the expansion of the EU in the early 21st century, through comparing the geopolitical interests of France and Germany. By doing this, this study aims to explore an alternative policy for the coexistence of the geopolitical interests of both countries in the course of the EU-Expansion. Concerning the EU-geopolitical construction, France prefers to consolidate the politico-economic integration of the existing Southern European member states to the EU. And she wants to expand the geopolitical sphere of influence of Europe toward the Mediterranean region. On the contrary, Germany supports the eastward expansion of the EU into Eastern Europe. And she seeks to make European geopolitical influences on Central Asia. This interest conflict between both countries has happened, because the geopolitical strategy of France is based on the Western European centrality and that of Germany has been developed by the Central European centrality. In order to minimize this geopolitical clash on the EU-Expansion between both countries, it would be necessary to develop and to implement constantly the European Neighborhood Policy, of which objective is to stabilize the neighboring regions of the EU and to increase the interdependence with them.