The study of the European Neighbourhood Policy through the lenses of critical approaches

This chapter aims to explore the application of various streams of critical theory to the study of the European neighbourhood policy (ENP). It explores the question of what it means to be 'critical' in social and political research, and specifically in the context of the ENP. The chapter presents a comprehensive review of the ENP scholarly literature, with a specific focus on the application of critical theoretical approaches. It also aims to apply the insights from the critical approaches outlined above by (re-)posing the questions of where the challenges inherent to the ENP lie according to different critical approaches, and, if possible, how these assess the prospects for change. The identified mismatch between the ENP's words and deeds in the context of democracy and human rights promotion has given birth to an expanding research nexus of critical approaches and the ENP.