Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego

International Cooperation Program

More Than Neighbors

Polski | English

contact: Michał Pachocki
e-mail: mpachocki@batory.org.pl
phone: (48 22) 536 02 09

The European Neighborhood Policy initiated by the EU in 2004 continues to be discussed within the Union. This matter will remain one of the important realms of Union foreign policy in the coming years. In the context of changes occurring within Europe, there is a growing need for a new approach to EU Neighborhood Policy. Firstly, the prospect of integration of states neighboring the Union is largely dependent on the Community's internal evolution, especially since absorption capacity (i.e. the Union's ability to adapt to accepting new member states) has become the starting point in discussions about its further expansion. Second, the most important problems in relations between the EU and its eastern neighbors are energy issues, including imports of oil and natural gas from Russia and the Caspian Sea basin by the European Neighborhood Policy countries.

If Poland is to present a credible point of view on the tenets of EU policy toward its eastern neighbors, the government and public opinion leaders must join the discourse on internal EU changes as well as present independent analyses and evaluations of EU energy policy as it relates to Eastern Europe.

The project's goal is to promote integration of the European Neighborhood Policy countries with the European Union. In the framework of our activities we aim to present new ideas concerning this policy formulated by representatives of NGOs, academic institutions and independent experts. We monitor selected action plans signed by the EU and its neighbors as well as present propositions of internal EU reforms and reforms related (directly and indirectly) to the EU-neighbors relations. We also aim to influence the strategy of Poland's eastern policy.

The project is a continuation of activities implemented previously as part of the New European Union and Ukraine and European Choice for Belarus projects. Currently, in addition to Belarus and Ukraine, we focus on Moldova as well as states of the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) which are also addressees of the European Neighborhood Policy. A review of EU policy in that regard includes also other European Neighborhood Policy partner countries (from southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea) and other EU neighbor states: Turkey, the Balkans and Russia.

Ukraina w drodze do Unii - program realizowany z dotacji Programu pomocy zagranicznej Ministerstwa Spraw Zagranicznych, mający na celu zbliżenie Ukrainy do Unii Europejskiej oraz przekazanie osobom zajmującym się promocją integracji europejskiej na Ukrainie oraz przedstawicielom ukraińskiej administracji publicznej polskich doświadczeń członkostwa we Wspólnocie.