European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was proposed by the European Commission in 2003 and focused on the EU's links with all the Union's neighbours after the enlargement of 1 May 2004.
The Neighbourhood Policy aims at avoiding boundaries that are all too distinct between the EU and its new neighbours and to promote stronger stability, prosperity and security by establishing close cooperation and relations. The Neighbourhood Policy is intended to produce more extensive cooperation compared with the traditional cooperation and trade relations that the EU has with third countries. This includes allowing our neighbours to participate in European networks, technical and economic support and offering increased access to the European internal market.
The countries included in the Neighbourhood Policy are Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Moldova, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine. Russia, which is also a neighbour of the EU, is not included in the ENP. Instead, Russia's relation to the EU is based on a separate Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The Neighbourhood Policy is based on agreements (Partnership and Cooperation Agreements and Association Agreements) between the EU and each neighbouring country that have already been agreed on and entered into. Algeria, Belarus, Libya and Syria do not have such agreements with the EU, so their participation in the Neighbourhood Policy is limited.
Cooperation between the EU and its neighbours is based on mutual commitments regarding democracy, human rights, good governance, market economy principles and sustainable development. The level of ambition of the Neighbourhood Policy for the individual countries depends on how well these values are respected.
The main cornerstone of the Neighbourhood Policy is the action plans that have been concluded between the EU and each neighbouring country. The action plans are tailored to each individual country according to their need of cooperation and support, as well as their capacity. The action plans specify which political and economic reforms each neighbour country should implement. The reforms involve areas such as political and security issues, economic and trade-related issues, mobility, environment, integration of transport and energy networks, and scientific and cultural cooperation.
The Eastern Partnership
In spring 2008, Sweden and Poland took a joint initiative for a discussion on developing the EU's relations with its eastern neighbours. In June 2008, the European Council tasked the Commission with presenting a communication in spring 2009 on establishing an Eastern Partnership - a policy aimed at strengthening and deepening the EU's relations with its six eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Due to the war in Georgia in August 2008, the Commission's communication was moved forward, and was presented on 3 December 2008. The Eastern Partnership, which is based on but goes beyond the Neighbourhood Policy, was adopted by the European Council at its meeting in March 2009. The Partnership will be launched at a summit between the EU and the six partner countries. The summit will be held in Prague on 7 May.
