An Action Plan or a Plan for Action? Israel and the European Neighbourhood Policy

Abstract:

The European Neighbourhood Policy appears to mark a major shift in the European Union's approach in its relations with Mediterranean non-member countries. As such, the new policy seems to divert its attention from the regional approach advocated in the Barcelona Process to bilateralism, whereby the partners can further and deepen their relations on the basis of common interests and good will. In this regard, the Action Plan agreed by Israel and the European Union offers a vast range of opportunities for deeper integration and enhancement of all spheres of relations. This article focuses on the capacity of the Neighbourhood Policy to foster new horizons for integration and trade in services. It specifically addresses the case study of the European Union and Israel, as both countries possess a highly-developed service sector, yet their trade relations in this field are governed exclusively by the World Trade Organization multilateral agreement on trade in services. By concentrating on the issue of trade in services, the article, on the one hand, draws conclusions as to the actual prospects for integration in this field, and on the other hand examines the significance of this for the overall European Neighbourhood Policy and its foreseeable shortcomings.