Publication

This report assesses ways in which the Action Plan process that has been launched under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) could become a more effective driver of political and economic change in the Mashreq region (covering Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian Territories).The paper suggests some key elements for making the Action Plan process more effective, including "positive conditionality" approaches, which might provide stronger incentives for partner countries to undertake reforms than the Barcelona "socialization" model. More generally, the perceived advantages to a partner country of a strengthened relationship with the EU will be the most important determinant of the potential of the ENP to bring about change.