ABSTRACT
The European Union's (EU) action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. Consequently, the Cotonou Agreement between the EU and the ACP-countries provided for the drafting of so-called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA). In general, Europe's structural power has been limited. On the one hand, many African states are still rather closed in economic terms. The EU policies seem also to be based on a belief in modernization theories. Policies such as the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) can strengthen the pro-democracy effects by building up close patterns of cross-border cooperation and transactions on all levels.
