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1

The European Neighbourhood Policy: Differentiation without Political Conditionality?

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Poli S.

Yearbook of Polish European Studies

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2015

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issue 18

133-164

EN

The aim of this chapter is to examine the way in which the EU has differentiated its relations with its Eastern and Southern neighbours, as well as the basis for such differentiation. The analysis shows that differentiation lies at the heart of the EU relations with these countries, and also describes factors that have led to ‘differentiation’ in the context of the ENP. The deepening of the cooperation with the ENP countries is not always and only due to political conditionality; it is linked to ex post rather than ex ante conditionality. The high level of variable geometry in the ENP does not, however, concern EU restrictive measures. The EU has adopted a fairly uniform policy in this area and has imposed restrictive measures vis-à-vis neighbour countries, regardless of their different geopolitical position and specifi c relations with the EU. In the near future, the level of variable geometry in the ENP is likely to grow: new contractual arrangements will be offered to Armenia and Azerbaijan; and differentiation and fl exibility are the hallmarks the 2015 review of the ENP. The question arises: Can the ENP remain a single policy framework, considering the high degree of differentiation? It is submitted herein that the ENP should remain the overall framework for the EU-ENP relations, since this counters the risk of a re-nationalization of this policy. A different issue is whether the EU’s choice of engaging with countries which have rejected EU values, in whole or in part, can be reconciled with a value-based foreign policy.

2

EUROPEAN UNION AND BELARUS: A NEED FOR MORE PRAGMATIC APPROACH?

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Zubkou A.

Czech Journal of Social Sciences, Business and Economics

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2012

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vol. 1

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issue 1

34-46

EN

This paper aims to assess limits of the European Union's ability to prompt the process of reforms in Belarus as a function of the conditionality approach's effectiveness. The Republic of Belarus stands out among other EU neighboring countries and represents a certain dilemma for the European Union. The EU's commitment to democratic values determined that the Union's policy towards Belarus has been mostly based on the principle of political conditionality. In the light of the present state of relations, the recent experience of political rapprochement during 2008-2010 should be interpreted rather in context of a number of external factors which shifted the EU's policy towards Belarus to a more pragmatic approach.

3

Political Criteria vs. Political Conditionality: Comparative analysis of Slovenian and Croatian European Union accession processes

88%

Bojinović Fenko A., Urlić A.

Croatian International Relations Review

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2015

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vol. 21

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issue 72

107-137

EN

This study analyses the differences in content and procedure in the application of political criteria and political conditionality in the EU accession processes of Slovenia and Croatia. The article ascertains that with regard to substance, the Commission and EU member states did apply political criteria more extensively and meticulously to Croatia in comparison to Slovenia, but mainly due to the difference in the states’ initial assessment of preparedness for EU membership and the application of the principle of own merits. Empirical results, however, show that the differences in political conditionality did not only stem from Croatia’s post-conflict conditions, but also from the EU’s experience of the 2004 and 2007 enlargements and the concern about the EU’s absorption capacity. As for the accession process procedure, the latter has increasingly empowered the Commission rather than EU member states, which bears relevance for future (Western Balkans) enlargements

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1 Croatian International Relations Review

1 Czech Journal of Social Sciences, Business and Economics

1 Yearbook of Polish European Studies

1 Bojinović Fenko A.

1 Poli S.

1 Urlić A.

1 Zubkou A.

2 2015

1 2012

The European Neighbourhood Policy: Differentiation without Political Conditionality?

EUROPEAN UNION AND BELARUS: A NEED FOR MORE PRAGMATIC APPROACH?

Political Criteria vs. Political Conditionality: Comparative analysis of Slovenian and Croatian European Union accession processes