Title: European Neighbourhood Policy Package - Conclusions for the Eastern Partners. OSW Commentary No. 78, 2012-05-25
Abstract: In 2011 the European Union began a process aimed at reforming its policy
on the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood. The change in circumstances
in neighbouring countries following the Arab Spring, along with the lack of
significant progress regarding Eastern Europe’s integration with the EU,
formed the main driving force behind this process. The prime objective of
the changes to the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was the need to
introduce new incentives for partner countries to modernise and integrate
more closely with the EU Another aim was to increase the flexibility of
EU instruments (by adapting them to the specific context of each partner
state). One year later, on 15 May 2012, the European Commission and the
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy published
the European Neighbourhood Policy Package which reported on the progress
made in the implementation of the ENP over the preceding year and
set out the aims and Action Plans for 20131.
An analysis of the outcomes of changes made to the EU policy towards
Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus suggests that the aim of the revision
was aimed more at addressing the changing political landscape in
the region rather than at the implementation of a substantial reform of
the neighbourhood policy. The ENP is largely based on bureaucratic procedures
(the negotiation of bilateral agreements, the implementation of
support programmes). These have only a limited capacity to bring about
lasting change in the region, as has been exemplified by the deterioration
of democratic standards in a number of countries; this was highlighted in
EU’s own reports. This problem is particularly clear in the case of Ukraine;
until recently it was seen as the leader of European integration but is now
raising much concern due to a deterioration in the state of democracy there.
EU instruments have a limited influence on the situation in Eastern Partnership
countries and the region’s significance on the EU’s agenda is falling
(the priority is now given to counteracting the economic crisis, and
prominence in the neighbourhood policy has been given to the Southern
Mediterranean). In response to this EU policy on Eastern Europe will focus
to a larger extent on technical and sectoral cooperation.
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
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