Strengthening of good governance and security as a priority of European [622406]

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Strengthening of good governance and security as a priority of European
Neighborhood Policy

When, in 2004, the European Union acquired ten new member States, it also acquired
several new neighbours. At that time, the European Union Institutions decided to launch a
European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), in order to institutionalize the EU’s relations with its
old and new neighbours and to ensure that the newly enlarged EU would be surrounded by a
“ring of friends ”.
Through the ENP , the EU provides to neighbor ing countries a part of the benefits of the
member States, thus strengthening stability, security and welfare in the region. ENP offers to
partner countries the opportunity to participate in EU activities through enhanced cooperation
in the political area, but also in security and in the economic and cultural domains.
This concerns sixteen of the EU’s closest Eastern and Southern Neighbours, such as
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to the East and, to the South,
Algeria, Egypt, Is rael, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia (even if
Belarus, Libya and Syria remain outside most of the structures of ENP) . Also Russia takes
part in Cross -Border Cooperation activities under the ENP, but it is not a part of the EN P as
such.
The research activity will concentrate on the analysis of the priorities chosen by the EU for
cooperation in the framework of the ENP, that is : the economic development for stabilization ;
the security dimension; migration and mobility. This in addition to good governance,
democracy, rule of law and human rights.
The analysis will be conducted monitoring the results of the ENP in terms of
implementation of legal agreem ents with the EU – partnership and cooperation agreements
(PCAs) or associatio n agreements (AAs) , on wich the action plans are based. A lso the yearly
ENP progress reports , published by the European External Action Service and the European
Commission , will be taken into account for this purpose.
The research will also seek to highlig ht the critical sides of the ENP. In fact, several
problems with the ENP are evident and this leads many to ask for his radical revision,
especially given the significant developments in the N eighbourhood in the last few years.
The ENP is chiefly a bilate ral policy between the EU and each partner country, b ut it is
complemented by regional and multi lateral cooperation initiatives, such as the Eastern
Partnership , the Mediterranean Partnership and the Black Sea Synergy . The latter, in

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particular, is aimed a t support ing regional development in South -East Europe by encouraging
cooperation between the coun tries surrounding the Black Sea.
With the declared purpose of strengthening regional cooperation, t he Black Sea S ynergy
offers a forum for facing common probl ems through political and economic reform.
The Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of
11 April 2007 on the Black Sea Synergy (COM(2007) 160 final) set out the goals and tasks of
the Sinergy itself across a range of economic sectors and thematic fields. Is there established
that t he Synergy is a flexible framework to ensure greater coherence and provide policy
guidance. It is based on a bottom -up project development approach aimed at building on
concrete deliverables in the environment, maritime affairs, fisheries, maritime transport,
energy, education, civil society, cross border cooperation and research fields.
The research will concentrate its attention o n the different initiatives that the Black Sea
governments hav e pursued, the nature of the Black Sea regionalism, and the current
challenges. In fact, Black Sea governments have concluded a large number of regional
cooperation arrangements, out of which the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
constitutes the most a dvanced and comprehensive structure.
Special attention will be given, in the research, to the EU support for trade liberalization
and regional economic integration around the Black Sea. A specific aspects of regional
cooperation will also be considered: t he initiative of creating a Black Sea Euro‐region.
To the will of upgrade or not the level of institutional cohesion -in add ition to economic
coesion – of the Black Sea Strategy is indeed linked the current turning point that the Synergy
is facing. The Bla ck Sea region is at a critical juncture in the present historical moment as
regards reinvigorating its regional architecture and collective action for the future. In fact,
with the deterioration of the security context over recent past, there is an interes t to further
implement the Black Sea Synergy through the initiation of new cooperation processes and the
involvement of international organizations.
At the same time, an enhanced presence of the EU within the eastern neighborhood is
needed, including the security issue aspect. This can be promoted both in relation to the Black
Sea Synergy and also in connection with the implementing processes of the new EU Foreign
Policy Global and Security Strategies, the implementing of a reviewed ENP, as well as the
strengthening of the Eastern and Euro -Mediterranean Partnerships.
Being the policies and strategies so far mentioned a key part of the European Union’s
foreign policy, t he research activity will include a full and critical appreciation of the articl es
of the Lisbon Treaty of 2007 relating to external and defense polic y of the European Union.