European Neighbourhood Policy (East and South) – Striving for Resilience and Reforms

Summary:

The famous phrase of Goethe – 'All theory, dear friend, is grey, but the golden tree of life springs ever green' – comes to mind when studying the EU’s Global Strategy (EUGS, June 2016) as well as all the related work the EU has recently presented in this context, be it the Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP, November 2015), the Joint Report on the Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy Review (17 May 2017) or the Joint Communication on 'A Strategic Approach to Resilience in the EU’s External Action' (7 June 2017), to name just a few.

All these documents reveal a profound understanding of the causes and effects of state fragility. They point out how weak governance, unaccountable and corrupt administrations, the absence of democracy, and a lack of respect for human rights and basic freedoms not only bar the way to any sustainable economic and societal development, but are also the drivers of crises and violent conflicts that, in turn, have led to further destabilisation. Conversely, the analyses permit no other conclusion than that the quality of governance and public administration is decisive for any stabilisation efforts, and that these factors determine how successfully a country can deliver on economic prosperity, social peace and territorial cohesion.

• Alternative Source 1