Enlargement, European Neighbourhood Policy and Consolidation of the European Union
This research project was funded by the Otto Wolff-Foundation. Its key aim was to continuously monitor and evaluate the enlargement policy of the European Union of related political and institutional adaptation processes and of the financial framework for the enlarged EU. The interrelation between and the problems of enlargement and deepening of the European Union, as well as the debate on the limits and borders of the EU, were topics that were mostly associated with Turkish membership, but in a wider perspective also included Ukraine as part of the research agenda.
A second focus was the development of relations between the enlarged European Union and the “wider Europe.” Special emphasis was put on politico-strategic questions of the European neighbourhood policy and probable new types of bilateral agreements ranging from cooperation to association and partial integration. Principles, goals, political and institutional provisions and instruments of these contractual relationships were discussed and analysed.
These topics fed into the IEP’s programme: “Dialogue Europe of the Otto Wolff-Foundation.” They were covered in conferences and seminars, for example, meetings of the IEP study group, “Enlargement / Neighbourhood Policy,” chaired by MEP Elmar Brok or the IEP “lunch debates,” and in many of the IEP’s publications such as the quarterly journal “integration” and the “Yearbook of European integration”.
It was of utmost importance for this research project that it was carried through in a Europe-wide network of researchers and experts dealing with consequences and problems of enlargement and questions of the new neighbourhood policy of the EU. In this regard, the IEP’s cooperation with the TEPSA network (Trans European Policy Studies Association), in which research institutes in 28 EU member states work together, as well as the IEP“s collaboration with the Network of Excellence “EU-CONSENT” was crucial. The joint internet publication, “EU-28Watch” which was edited and coordinated by the IEP for EU-CONSENT, offered a regular “state of the Union” report on key national debates on deepening and reforms inside the European Union as well as on enlargement and neighbourhood policy. “EU-28 Watch” is a continuation of the successful internet publication: “Enlargement/Agenda 2000-Watch” of the IEP in cooperation with TEPSA and supported by the Otto Wolff-Foundation.
Publications
Project Activities
Project Team:
Dr. Barbara Lippert
Prof. Dr. Mathias Jopp