THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY

Abstract

The significance and impact of the ENP on the implementation of the PA system reforms in the Eastern Partnership countries cannot be overestimated. Considering the prospects for the further development of the reform program as a key condition for supporting integration processes in countries that have signed the Association Agreement with the European Union, the following should be noted:

1. A positive solution to the problem of reforming the PA system in the target countries is possible only on the basis of in-depth and critical analysis of previous practice in this area, presented in the relevant publications. The results of this analysis should form the basis of the relevant recommendations for politicians and national governments.

2. Today, European countries are positioning themselves as social states that guarantee social security. (Wendt, 1999). The recognition of the economic potential of the community was the rationale for the paradigm, according to which the EU regulatory model can be extended to other countries. (Hyde-Price, 2006) (Haukkala, 2008). Using the prospect of integration, providing political and economic support, the EU initiated in the Eastern Partnership countries the implementation of public administration reforms in the context of the dissemination of the EU regulatory model. But the need to counter the aggression of Russia forced not only to supplement the traditional expansion strategy with an initiative to strengthen the European security and defense policy but also led to the need to review the implementation of expansion plans and reform approaches in Eastern European countries.

3. The concept of EU enlargement is based on a strategy that aims to stimulate, rather than force, neighbouring countries to reform in the absence of a membership perspective. The proposed partnership concept, as a tool for EU participation in the internal reform process, is intended to compensate for some negative external convergence factors. At the same time, building an effective model of the neighbourhood policy is impossible without successfully accomplishing two tasks: institutionalizing the new governance structure according to EU practice, including adapting the existing institutions of the Eastern Partnership countries, and ensuring that their economic interests are met as a result of cooperation. The possible inconsistency of these tasks should be presented in the consideration of alternative options.

Consideration of these issues will allow supporting the further development of integration processes in the east of the EU and will contribute to their practical effectiveness.