- Date
- June 2011
In the Joint Communication "A New Response to a Changing Neighbourhood," published on May 25, 2011, the European Commission and the European External Action Service have developed some valuable proposals for improving the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). In particular, the Joint Communication includes a stronger emphasis on civil society, more differentiation between countries, and greater political steer.
It also contains some elements that formed part of previous policy but had not been fully implemented. Reiterated concepts such as visa liberalization, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTA), Comprehensive Institution-Building (CIB) programs, and tackling regional disparities will only gain traction if the EU applies its conditionality more consistently.
The Open Society Institute-Brussels has highlighted the positive steps that EU member states should support in their Council Conclusions in June, and noted those elements that remain open questions.
The full response is available for download.
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European Neighbourhood Policy: Positive Steps and Open Questions (151.6 Kb pdf file)
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