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Behind the European Neighborhood Policy: Why does the EU do this?
The European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) is an EU foreign policy instrument aimed at promoting closer ties with its southeastern neighbors. These countries include not only those that wish to become EU members, but also those that wish to strengthen integration with the EU. The policy emerged after the EU's expansion in 2004 in an effort to avoid creating new borders in Europe and prevent new dividing lines from emerging.
The core objective of the European Neighborhood Policy is to create a circle of “friendly neighbors” without new borders.
According to this policy, the EU has established a framework for cooperation with major southern and eastern countries (such as Algeria, Israel, Ukraine, etc.). These countries interact with the EU in political, economic and social aspects and receive financial assistance under certain conditions. This aid is usually based on an action plan aimed at promoting government and economic reforms.
Policy Development History
The origins of the European Neighborhood Policy can be traced back to 2003, when the European Commission first proposed the concept. The policy has since been updated several times, including the launch of the New European Neighborhood Policy in 2011, which pledged more than €1.2 billion in new funding to strengthen bilateral and regional relations with neighboring countries.
The key to advancing individual and regional relations is "more money for more reform."
In the South, policy was initially implemented through the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Barcelona Process), which aimed to strengthen political and economic ties between EU Member States and Southern Mediterranean countries. To the east, the Eastern Partnership was established in 2009 to bring six Eastern European neighbors (Armenia, Armenia, Belarus, etc.) towards the EU.
Sources and allocation of funds
The European Neighbourhood Policy is financed primarily through the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI). Launched in 2014, the instrument was merged into Global Europe (NDICI) in 2021 with a budget of 15.4 billion euros to promote projects in neighboring countries.
Incentivizing high performers has been a core principle of ENI since 2014.
The funding is not limited to development programmes, but also includes support for political and economic reforms that meet EU standards. Such an approach is believed to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation and deepen ties between neighboring countries and the EU.
Signing of the Agreement and Its Significance
Historically, several important agreements have been concluded through the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP) and the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). The signing of the association agreement not only represents the cooperation intention of both parties, but also is an important step for further economic integration in the future.
The Association Agreement is silent on the possibility of EU membership, especially for the southern countries.
The agreements typically require recipient countries to make political, human rights and economic reforms in return for duty-free market access for certain goods. Such an arrangement promotes the exchange of interests between the two sides and helps stabilize the regional situation.
Criticisms and Challenges
While the push for Europe’s neighborhood policy makes sense, it also faces a range of criticisms. Academic research points out that the policy is conceptually vague and out of touch with local society, which casts doubt on the effectiveness of its implementation.
Some critics believe that the neighborhood policy is driven by the EU's self-interest and that the role of partner countries has been relatively weakened.
In addition, the EU's close relationship with its Mediterranean partners during the Arab Spring has also sparked discussion, with critics pointing out that this situation could lead the EU to rethink its policy goals. More and more onlookers are questioning whether the EU always takes into account the actual conditions and needs of its partner countries in the process of promoting peace and stability.
SummaryOverall, the European Neighborhood Policy has played an important role in promoting cooperation between the EU and its neighboring countries, promoting stability and development through financial support and political reforms. However, in the process of implementation, it inevitably faces many challenges and criticisms. In the future, whether this policy can adapt to the rapidly changing international situation and truly promote the development and prosperity of partner countries will be a question worthy of our deep consideration.
