In Search of Coherence in the European Neighbourhood Policy: A Case of Georgia

This article examines the design and implementation of the EU’s European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The ENP espoused a very ambitious agenda using a wide range of instruments; however it was hindered in its ambitions by a number of design flaws. In this article, first, we analyse the original design of the ENP to illustrate how the ENP’s wide geographic coverage of eastern and southern neighbours, conferred a degree of vertical coherence to the policy. However, this was achieved at the expense of horizontal coherence with other EU policies. Second, we draw attention to the fact that the focus on ENP’s multiplicity of tools lead to a focus on outputs rather than impact in partner countries. Third, we argue that the ENP focus on promoting ‘good governance’, resulted in a rather technocratic, de-securitized implementation of the policy and a degree of horizontal disjointedness – namely the failure to align it with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). We argue that this lack of horizontal coherence stemmed from the lack of consensus amongst the Member States on the ENP in general and the EU’s role in security of the partner countries, in particular. Finally, we explore the implications of these weaknesses in the case of Georgia and demonstrate how the de-securitized implementation of the ENP in a highly sensitive conflict-setting, involving Russia, had a detrimental impact on Georgia’s relations with the EU.