<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This article examines the divergence in the EU's strategies towards neighbours. The goal is to connect different EU neighbourhood initiatives into one framework in making a correlation between national and supranational levels. The distinction between bilateralism/multilateralism and Russia inclusion/Russia exclusion is made within both levels. The division is between European Neighbourhood policy and Eastern Partnership (within bilateral framework) on the one hand, and Northern dimension initiative and Black Sea Synergy on the other. These different EU's strategies towards neighbours reflect contradictory EU development models. The argument is made that national preferences and interests precondition a variety of the EU's neighbourhood initiatives and create a web in EU's neighbourhood policy that is filled with many contradictions.</p></abstract>

This article examines the divergence in the EU's strategies towards neighbours. The goal is to connect different EU neighbourhood initiatives into one framework in making a correlation between national and supranational levels. The distinction between bilateralism/multilateralism and Russia inclusion/Russia exclusion is made within both levels. The division is between European Neighbourhood policy and Eastern Partnership (within bilateral framework) on the one hand, and Northern dimension initiative and Black Sea Synergy on the other. These different EU's strategies towards neighbours reflect contradictory EU development models. The argument is made that national preferences and interests precondition a variety of the EU's neighbourhood initiatives and create a web in EU's neighbourhood policy that is filled with many contradictions.

The Web of the EU'S Neighbourhood Policy: Between Bilateralism and Multilateralism

Vytautas Magnus University Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, Lithuania

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics

This article examines the divergence in the EU's strategies towards neighbours. The goal is to connect different EU neighbourhood initiatives into one...

The Web of the EU'S Neighbourhood Policy: Between Bilateralism and Multilateralism

Publié en ligne: 04 sept. 2009

Pages: 135 - 165

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10076-009-0008-6

Mots clés
European Neighbourhood policy, regional/interregional cooperation, EU's foreign and security policy, Finland, Lithuania

This content is open access.

The Web of the EU'S Neighbourhood Policy: Between Bilateralism and Multilateralism

Publié en ligne: 04 sept. 2009

Pages: 135 - 165

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10076-009-0008-6

Mots clésEuropean Neighbourhood policy, regional/interregional cooperation, EU's foreign and security policy, Finland, Lithuania

This content is open access.

Mots clés
European Neighbourhood policy, regional/interregional cooperation, EU's foreign and security policy, Finland, Lithuania