ABSTRACT
This introduction presents the overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the concepts of the neighbours of the EU's neighbours, the EU's broader neighbourhood and of the arc of crisis and strategic challenges'. There is obviously a need for developing research in these areas and to identify opportunities in terms of cooperation and economic integration. The consistency and sometimes the credibility of the European neighbourhood policy (ENP) as a whole have been affected. Although the Eastern Partnership was more integrated into the ENP framework than the original Union of the Mediterranean, its link with the Black Sea Synergy an initiative emanating from the European Commission has never been entirely clear. What is obvious is that the European Security Strategy needs another urgent update and that the relationship between the different components of the EU's numerous proximity strategies should be clarified and improved.
