The New European Neighbourhood Policy

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) underpins a new approach to the relations between the European Union and its neighbouring countries, which goes beyond the traditional cooperation approach. This policy provides a framework to strengthen the neighbourhood relations and to enhance cooperation with the neighbouring countries of the enlarged EU in order to create an area of prosperity and good neighbourliness, a “circle of friends” at the EU borders. The European Neighbourhood Policy Objectives: the ENP main objective is to share the benefits the EU enlargement of 2004 with its neighbouring countries. Furthermore, another central objective, which was established by the European Security Strategy of 2003, aims at increasing security in the neighbourhood of the enlarged Union. The main axes of the new approach are: adaptation of the EU support to its partners in compliance with the progress recorded on political reforms and consolidation of democracy, further support for sustainable economic and social development as well as the establishment of regional partnerships, with each of its neighbours, according to a shared policy, based on mutual accountability. The main source of funding is the new European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), which will provide most of the budgetary support to the partner countries, especially through bilateral, regional and cross-border cooperation programs. Most partner countries have saluted this approach, and many of them have expressed an ever increasing commitment to further develop their political and economic reform and to cooperate even more intensely with the EU.