Russia’s war in Ukraine and the hybrid threats that it inflicted beyond Ukraine’s borders have exposed the entire Euro-Atlantic space and confirmed that the power of information is incredibly strong. Russia has invested massively in anti-European, anti-United States and overall anti-Western activities in order to undermine the rule of law, the authority of NATO and the basic values that have defined the Euro-Atlantic community since its inception. Russia’s propaganda deceives, multiplies absurd conspiracy theories and creates an information chaos. As societies, which are disoriented and confused, become an easy target for manipulation, the risk of political subversion, radicalization and change in the Euro-Atlantic course increases.
Russia’s war in Ukraine and the hybrid threats that it inflicted beyond Ukraine’s borders have exposed the entire Euro-Atlantic space and confirmed that the power of information is incredibly strong. Russia has invested massively in anti-European, anti-United States and overall anti-Western activities in order to undermine the rule of law, the authority of NATO and the basic values that have defined the Euro-Atlantic community since its inception. Russia’s propaganda deceives, multiplies absurd conspiracy theories and creates an information chaos. As societies, which are disoriented and confused, become an easy target for manipulation, the risk of political subversion, radicalization and change in the Euro-Atlantic course increases.
Talking about the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) we need to know its roots and the reasons behind its launch and evolution. This paper offers a brief insight into the background of the establishment of the ENP, the main actors engaged, the causes which decided about the changes, the main direction of such changes, methods applied in the cooperation, areas of such cooperation, followed by the challenges and prospects to overcome the current problems.
Today the European Union (EU) is challenged by the developments beyond its eastern and southern borders, incl. a series of conflicts that have been erupting in different spots of the Middle East and North Africa since the end of 2010, i.e. the so called Arab Spring and the Russia-Ukraine war that started in 2014. The EU’s relations with both regions used to be framed by the European Neighbourhood Policy. The objective of this paper is to examine the implications of the geopolitical changes that have taken place in the EU’s imminent neighbourhood over the past few years for that complex policy framework.
By exploring the modes of cooperation specific to the Eastern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy, the objective of this paper is to highlight that the ENP is de facto based on the multi-level governance (MLG) model. To this end, the key existing structures and actors involved in the implementation of the Eastern Dimension of the ENP are outlined. Moreover, the most important problems and challenges facing the present multi-level governance model of cooperation under the Eastern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy are discussed.
From its onset, the ENP was marred by a diversity of irreconcilable interests and preferences of actors (regional, national and local) directly and indirectly involved in that policy-strategy. That variability of interests and preferences has become particularly apparent in the Eastern Partnership (EaP), a fundamental component of the ENP. The objective of this paper is to examine the complex web of interests and preferences that have shaped the EaP over the past years. To this end the ENP’s objectives are outlined and its complexity highlighted. In what follows the interests and preferences of the plethora of actors involved in the ENP are discussed. It is stressed that the EU’s primary objective associated with the ENP, including the EaP, has been to establish peaceful and cooperative relations with its neighbours. However, as following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia has always aimed at restoring its sphere of influence, the ENP’s efficiency remains a function of interests and preferences shaping the region.
From its onset, the ENP has been subject to a diversity of conflicting visions, expectations and interests of parties involved in this novel and broad policy-framework. Originating in economic and political pragmatism, these conflicting visions and interests weigh heavily on the efficiency of the ENP implementation. Overall however, the ENP partner-countries seem to agree in one respect, i.e. a criticism towards the EU and the rationale behind the launch and the modes of the implementation of the ENP. By dwelling on the ENP partner-countries’ positions and interests with regard to the ENP, the objective of this paper is to highlight that issue.
The inter-regional cooperation between the European Union (EU) and its Southern and Eastern neighbours (currently covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy) was developed with the objective of strengthening the prosperity, stability and security of all the countries involved. In this context, foreign direct investment (FDI) should be regarded as one of the most important tools to be used in order to fulfil the aim of strengthening the prosperity of the cooperating countries, including in particular the development of the less developed EU neighbours. This paper explores the question of whether the inter-regional cooperation between the EU and its Southern and Eastern neighbours resulted in the creation of an institutional (legal) framework conducive to the FDI inflow to the ENP partner-countries.
A short glimpse on the Southern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is enough to understand that several contingencies beset the prospect of intra-regional cooperation in the Southern Mediterranean (SEM). Historically-determined challenges to cooperation prevail over the opportunities that exist, while the legacy of the Arab Spring and the emergence of ISIS, efficiently obscure any hopes for collaboration. The objective of this paper is to explore this issue.
The objective of this paper is to examine the development of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) during the first decade of its functioning and to assess the dynamics of the cooperation in that policy-framework. The research presents changes in the institutional and legal framework, evolution of the tools and programmes, including the financial aspect. Additionally, the article analyses current evolution of the macroeconomic and political situation in the European Union and its neighbourhood – the financial crisis 2007+, the Arab Spring, and the turbulences in the Eastern dimension. The research allows to state that the output of the ENP is positive, especially in the economic aspect, nevertheless, the cooperation in the political area, including the structural reforms, still poses a great challenge. The incentivebased approach and comprehensive programmes should expedite the fulfilment of ENP objectives.
