ABSTRACT

This chapter explores the began to flesh out a European neighbourhood policy, to bring some order to the European Union's (EU's) relations with its old and new neighbours and ensure that the newly enlarged Union would be surrounded by a ring of friends. The name of the initiative has been changed as many times as the list of neighbours included in it: from wider Europe to proximity policy to new neighbourhood policy, and finally to European neighbourhood policy. An early stab at a European neighbourhood policy took the form of a boost to the European Conference. General Affairs and External Relations Council, European Neighbourhood Policy Council conclusions, 14 June 2004, press release 10189/04. The European Union (EU) has made it clear that only when the conditions for free and fair elections have been achieved can Belarus be integrated into the ENP. Clearer incentive structure, attached to clearer and well-ordered priorities, would give the EU better tools for fostering fundamental reform in the neighbours.