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Re-Engaging with Neighbours in a State of War and Geopolitical Tensions

Project description

Advice on how EU should adapt its foreign policy tools

Europe faces unprecedented security challenges following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sparking a dire need for a strategic overhaul. The conflict not only inflicts suffering in Ukraine but also poses a direct threat to neighbouring countries, demanding a fundamental reassessment of EU security policies. In response, the EU-funded RE-ENGAGE project combines insights from various academic fields to deliver innovative research and practical guidance on adapting the EU's foreign policy tools in the current volatile context. Specifically, the project will guide the adoption of the EU’s foreign policy tools. This will be necessary as Europe grapples with its most severe security crisis in decades, necessitating a comprehensive reevaluation of security policies and a nuanced approach to address hybrid warfare threats.

Objective

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU has responded by re-engaging with its neighbours. This builds on the assumption that bringing them into the European family of liberal democracies will increase the resilience of the whole European community against external negative interference. Combining insights from a variety of academic fields, RE-ENGAGE will deliver innovative research and concrete advice on how the EU should adapt its foreign policy tools to the current context.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has radically altered European security, not only causing extreme civilian suffering in Ukraine, but posing a direct threat to neighbouring countries fearful of the war spreading. Confronted by the direst security crisis in decades, EU policymakers are forced to fundamentally rethink their security policies. Europe has demonstrated unexpected unity and resolve, adopting a series of sanctions against Russia, and increasing national defence spending to better handle potential military threats. This has also led to a revival of EU enlargement process. While this will not improve EU resilience to military threats in the narrow sense, it may counter hybrid warfare, which is the more likely threat faced by the EU and most of its neighbours.
The neighbourhood policy and the accession process require urgent adjustment to build strong, resilient neighbourhood states capable of countering external threats, particularly those posed by hybrid warfare. A systematic investigation of how this can be achieved in the current context without compromising the EU’s values and security is therefore needed. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, there have been increasing calls from the EU for a more context-sensitive approach to its neighbours. RE-ENGAGE will assist the EU in determining how best to achieve this goal through an in-depth study of six cases – three in the Western Balkans and three in the Eastern Neighbourhood.

Coordinator

NORSK UTENRIKSPOLITISK INSTITUTT
Net EU contribution
€ 925 250,00
Address
C J HAMBROS PLASS 2D
0164 Oslo
Norway

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Region
Norge Oslo og Viken Oslo
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 925 250,00

Participants (11)