Policy Paper 69
The EU neighbourhood competence under Article 8 TEU
Christophe Hillion, Senior Researcher, SIEPS —
Since the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Union is formally instructed to “develop a special relationship with neighbouring countries” (Article 8 TEU). While this explicit mandate partly codifies past EU engagement, particularly through the European Neighbourhood Policy, it introduces several noticeable novelties in the way in which the Union conceives of, and develops its policy towards its vicinity. Envisaged as a EU ‘neighbourhood competence’ with a value-promotion objective and a mandatory nature, it epitomises the EU as normative power. Yet, despite the strong constitutional instruction of the TEU, and the profound changes in the region, the actual engagement of the Union (and its Member States) towards the vicinity has not profoundly changed. It is argued that the EU neighbourhood policy appears to be affected by the disadvantages of its constitutionalisation, and incapable of reaping the latter’s benefits in terms of compelling the EU institutions and Member States to act forcefully.
| 15/02/2013
Since the
Treaty of Lisbon, the European Union is formally instructed to “develop a
special relationship with neighbouring countries” (Article 8 TEU). While this explicit
mandate partly codifies past EU engagement, particularly through the European
Neighbourhood Policy, it introduces several noticeable novelties in the way in
which the Union conceives of, and develops its policy towards its vicinity.
Envisaged as a EU ‘neighbourhood competence’ with a value-promotion objective
and a mandatory nature, it epitomises the EU as normative power. Yet, despite
the strong constitutional instruction of the TEU, and the profound changes in
the region, the actual engagement of the Union (and its Member States) towards
the vicinity has not profoundly changed. It is argued that the EU neighbourhood
policy appears to be affected by the disadvantages of its
constitutionalisation, and incapable of reaping the latter’s benefits in terms
of compelling the EU institutions and Member States to act forcefully.”
“How to make out of its neighbourhood an opportunity for the EU itself?” which
includes contributions by Michele Comelli (IAI), Haizam Amirah Fernández (Elcano Royal Institute), Timo Behr (Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute), Lucia Najšlová (Europeum), Vera Rihácková (Europeum), Olga Shumylo-Tapiola (Carnegie Europe), Adam Balcer (demosEuropa).
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