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The EU in a Trans-European Space pp 177–196Cite as

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Re-conceptualising EU-North Africa Relations: ‘Outside-In’ and ‘Inside-Out’ Dynamics

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Abstract

Since the start of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (1995) until the Union for the Mediterranean (2008), North Africa has been at the core of the EU’s external projection. A set of bilateral and multilateral instruments have been deployed to advance the level of cooperation with the countries of North Africa and to provide stability, promote democracy and secure key economic interests in this area. However, the results of this policy have been mixed. Following the Arab uprisings in North African states, new realities and the changing geopolitics of the region call for a thorough re-think of the strategy, objectives and instruments the EU may adopt vis-à-vis North Africa. This chapter reflects on the record and limits of past EU policy frameworks and instruments and provides a re-conceptualisation of the North African space by dwelling on ‘outside-in’ and ‘inside-out’ dynamics. These dynamics shed light on the challenges to the development of a regional identity among North African countries stemming from both themselves and the cooperation with external actors.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See also chapter “Do Good Neighbours Make Good Fences? Migration in the Trans-European Space” by Reslow in this volume.

  2. 2.

    The total figure of loans and aid disbursed to Morocco through the EU’ENI was 890 million Euro in 2017. See Morocco EU Milestones, September 1, 2016, https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/near_factograph_morocco.pdf

  3. 3.

    See also chapter “From a Regional to a Global Power, in Potency: The EU’s Global Strategy” by Giusti and chapter “Facing a Fragmented Neighbourhood: The EU and Six Eastern Partnership Countries” by Pishchikova in this volume.

  4. 4.

    European Commission. (2015). Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Joint Communication of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions JOIN(2015) 50 final. Brussels: European Commission.

  5. 5.

    European Commission. (2011). A new response to a changing Neighbourhood. Joint Communication of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions JOIN(2011) 303 final. Brussels: European Commission.

  6. 6.

    European Commission. (2013). Joint Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the Union position within the Association Council set up by the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, with regard to the adoption of a recommendation on the implementation of the EU-Morocco Action Plan implementing the advanced status (2013–2017). Since the Action Plan expired—and since the 2015 ENP revision sought to phase out Action Plans in favour of ‘partnership priorities’, a more accessible and more short-term focused cooperation framework—no new framework has been put in place with Morocco.

  7. 7.

    HuffPost Maroc. (2017). “Le text integral du discours du roi au sommet AU-EU”, HuffPost Maroc, 11 November 2017, https://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2017/11/29/le-texte-integral-du-discours-du-roi-au-sommet-uaue_n_18681526.html

  8. 8.

    See also chapter “Energy Security and Geopolitics in the Trans-Europe Space” by Miriello in this volume.

  9. 9.

    Directorate-General for Trade, “Algeria—Trade”, http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/algeria/

  10. 10.

    Ministère des Finances, Direction Générale des Douanes, Centre National de l’Informatique et des Statistiques.

  11. 11.

    The EU remains by far Tunisia’s first economic partner, accounting for 65.5 per cent of its trade in 2015. 78.1 per cent of Tunisia’s exports and 56.9 per cent of its imports are tied to Europe. See http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/tunisia/

  12. 12.

    See chapter “Saudi Arabia’s Regional Space-Shaping: Making or Unmaking a Region?” on the Middle East in this volume.

  13. 13.

    See also chapter “Economic Challenges in Trans-Europe” by Mirkina in this volume.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for International Affairs, Rome, Italy

    Silvia Colombo

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  1. Silvia Colombo
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Correspondence to Silvia Colombo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy

    Dr. Serena Giusti

  2. Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Dr. Irina Mirkina

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Colombo, S. (2019). Re-conceptualising EU-North Africa Relations: ‘Outside-In’ and ‘Inside-Out’ Dynamics. In: Giusti, S., Mirkina, I. (eds) The EU in a Trans-European Space. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03679-9_9

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