Development Office Newsletter: Issue N°3 2011

College of Europe Natolin Research Papers analyse European Neighbourhood Policy achievements
and the challenges ahead

The Department of European Interdisciplinary Studies (EIS) is developing, since 2010, a new research program. The EIS research program aims to capitalize the expertise of the Natolin Faculty members, researchers and students in order to produce high-quality research. Two series of publications are now published on the College of Europe website:  (1) The College of Europe Natolin Research papers; and (2) The Best Master Thesis.

The first semester of 2011 has marked a key turning point for the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The EU has undertaken a thorough review of the approach, instruments and funding for its cooperation policy with the neighbouring countries to the East and to the South. This review is marked by a stronger emphasis on democratic promotion and a reinforcement of the principles of conditionality and differentiation. The revolts experienced in North African countries in early 2011, with the regime changes in Tunisia and Egypt, civil war in Libya and extended repression in Syria and the pre-emptive reforms launched in Morocco, Jordan and Algeria forced the EU to react.

In the first ever Joint Communication from the European Commission and the High Representative the EU offered Mediterranean Partner Countries a new “Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity” based on three main elements:

• “democratic transformation and institution-building”, with a strong focus on “a commitment to adequately monitored, free and fair elections” as “entry qualification for the Partnership” (reinforced conditionality);
• “a stronger partnership with the people, with specific emphasis on support to civil society” in those countries;
• and “sustainable and inclusive growth and economic development”.

A second communication entitled “A new response to a changing Neighbourhood” sets the blueprint for an ENP review for the upcoming 2014-2020 EU budget period and aims at providing “greater support to partners engaged in building deep democracy”, support economic integration, strengthen the “two regional dimensions of the European Neighbourhood Policy, covering respectively the Eastern Partnership and the Southern Mediterranean” and provide the “mechanisms and instruments fit to deliver these objectives”. The new instruments proposed are: a European Endowment for Democracy, a Civil Society Neighbourhood Facility, Pilot Programmes to Support Agriculture and Rural Development and Pilot Regional Development Programmes.

To understand this process of review of the ENP, a key element is the assessment of the ENP implementation since its inception, its instruments and relevance. This is the reason why a focus on ‘EU Proximity Strategies’ was introduced in the 2010-2011 research programme of the Natolin Campus. A set of research papers concentrating on the challenges and achievements of the ENP was therefore published in July 2011. These research papers were discussed at a research seminar held in February 2011 on the Natolin Campus with high level researchers and policy-makers.

College of Europe Natolin Research Papers

• Kerry Longhurst, Derisory Results or Reasons to be Cheerful? Evaluating the Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, College of Europe Natolin paper, 2011/1.
• Iván Martín, European Neighbourhood Policy in Southern Mediterranean Countries - Assessment 2005-2010, College of Europe Natolin paper, 2011/2.
• Laure Delcour and Hubert Duhot, Bringing South Caucasus Closer to Europe: Achievements and Challenges in ENP Implementation, College of Europe Natolin paper 2011/3.
• Hannes Adomeit, Russia and its Near Neighbourhood: Competition and Conflict with the EU College of Europe Natolin paper, 2011/4.
• Machteld Venken, Migration and War Memory in a European Perspective. A Case-Study on Displaced Persons in Belgium College of Europe Natolin paper, 2011/5.

Best Master Thesis

• Diana Babayan, Balancing Security and Development in Migration Policy - EU Mobility Partnerships, Best Master Thesis, 2010/1.
• Peter Miltner, The Union for the Mediterranean and the Eastern Partnership: A Comparative Analysis, Best Master Thesis, 2010/2.
• Aliaksandr Papko, Les défis du Partenariat oriental: le cas du Belarus, 2010/3.
  

All papers can be downloaded from the College of Europe website at: http://www.coleurope.eu/template.asp?pagename=eisresearch

If you would like to be added to the EIS publications mailing list, please contact publications.natolincampus@coleurope.eu