The Geopolitical Implications of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

Thesis (M.A.) , 2010 , 103 Pages , Grade: 2.0

Politics - Topic: European Union

The Eastern enlargement of the European Union in 2004 alongside the accession in 2007 of Bulgaria and Romania into the European Union has paved way for a historical shift of the Union , emergence of new borders, and emergence of new relations and policies towards new neighbours.
Despite the fact that the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) might be considered as a foreign policy instrument, what seems unknown and less considered is the cost of relationship, intent of the European Union (EU) in relations with new members, interest of both sides, security and stability alongside economic and democratic space. The ENP consolidates the opinion that the limits of Europe is increasingly evasive; the thesis therefore aims at considering or analyzing the EU relations in the view of its implications stemming from the ENP policy toward Ukraine as a member of the ENP.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Chapter 1
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Purpose/Research Questions
  • 1.3 Methodology
  • 1.4 Theoretical framework
  • 1.5 Chapter Organization
• Chapter 2 - Literature Review
  • 2. European Foreign Policy Discourse
  • 2.1 Discourse of the European Neighbourhood Policy
    • 2.1.2 Neighbourhood Politics
    • 2.1.3 Revival of geopolitics
    • 2.1.4 Geostrategies of the ENP
    • 2.1.5 Social Construction of Neighbourhood and Norm Reception
  • 2.2 The Eastern Dimension and Ukraine
  • 2.3 Security Sector Governance in the Neighbourhood
    • 2.3.1 European Union energy security in the neighbourhood
  • 2.4 Summary
• Chapter 3 - European Foreign Policy Discourse
  • 3.1 Changes in European Foreign Policy
    • 3.1.1 Institutional changes
    • 3.1.2 Enlargement as foreign policy tool and the ENP
  • 3.2 Rational Actors
    • 3.2.1 Ukraine -EU relations
    • 3.2.2 Russia
  • 3.3 Ukraine as a regional actor; too weak to escape Russia?
  • 3.4 Summary
• Chapter 4 - Analysis
  • 4.1 The Return of History
    • 4.1.1 Creation of Energy Dependencies
  • 4.2 The Centre -Periphery argument
    • 4.2.1 Benefits and cost- Centre -Periphery argument
  • 4.3 Direct Involvement in Neighbourhood Crises and Politics?
    • 4.3.1 Investment in the neighbourhood
    • 4.3.2 Security and Border Control Dimension
  • 4.4 Schengen border code
  • 4.5 Schengen Information Systems. (SIS)
  • 4.6 Visa Facilitation Regime
  • 4.7 Pockets of Conflicts surrounding Ukraine

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines the geopolitical implications of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) towards Ukraine. It analyzes the EU's relationship with its new neighbors in the context of the Eastern enlargement, considering the costs and benefits of the ENP for both sides. Key themes explored in this work include:

• The impact of the ENP on the geopolitical landscape of Europe, including the emergence of new borders and relations.
• The changing nature of European foreign policy and the role of the ENP as a foreign policy instrument.
• The complex interplay between the EU, Ukraine, and Russia, examining the influence of Russia on Ukraine's regional role.
• The economic and security dimensions of the ENP, including energy dependence, investment, and border control.
• The use of the ENP to address regional crises and promote stability in the neighborhood.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1 introduces the research topic, focusing on the geopolitical implications of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) toward Ukraine. It outlines the purpose and research questions of the thesis, explaining the methodology and theoretical framework employed.

Chapter 2 delves into the relevant literature, examining European foreign policy discourse, the discourse of the ENP, and the Eastern dimension focusing on Ukraine. The chapter further explores security sector governance in the neighborhood, specifically focusing on the European Union's energy security.

Chapter 3 analyzes changes in European foreign policy, highlighting institutional changes and the ENP as a foreign policy tool. It also examines the role of rational actors, particularly in the context of Ukraine-EU relations and the influence of Russia.

Chapter 4 analyzes the geopolitical implications of the ENP, exploring the return of history, the creation of energy dependencies, and the center-periphery argument. It examines the benefits and costs of the ENP and explores direct EU involvement in neighborhood crises and politics, including investment, security, and border control.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The primary keywords and focus topics of this thesis include European Neighbourhood Policy, Ukraine, EU-Ukraine relations, geopolitics, energy security, security sector governance, Eastern enlargement, and the center-periphery argument. These concepts underpin the analysis of the geopolitical implications of the ENP towards Ukraine, examining the evolving relationship between the EU and its Eastern neighbors.

• College: University of Flensburg
• Grade: 2.0
• Author: Patrick Agbedejobi (Author)
• Publication Year: 2010
• Pages: 103
• Catalog Number: V201530
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656291381
• ISBN (Book): 9783656292807
• Language: English
• Tags: European Neighbourhood Policy, European Foreign Policy, Geopolitics