Abstract
The chapter analyses the cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Jordan in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), demonstrating that Jordan is playing an important role in building a security partnership with the EU in the Mediterranean. It is shown how, seen from a Jordanian perspective, the EU is becoming attractive as a partner in political and economic terms. The crises in Syria, the presence of Islamic State in the armed conflicts, and the challenges related to Syrian refugees have emphasized the importance of Jordan as an important actor for the EU. The chapter also discusses economic support for Jordan, in relative terms (per capita) the largest recipient of EU support. The chapter concludes that there are important commonalities of interest between the EU and Jordan.
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Notes
- 1.
See Chap. 1 of this volume by Niklas Bremberg and Pernille Rieker.
- 2.
Since 2009 I have directed a partnership programme in Jordan, the Danish Jordanian University Cooperation (DJUCO, see www.djuco.org), funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Danish Arab Partnership Programme. This work has resulted in frequent short and long visits to Jordan, during which personal observations were made and formal and more informal interviews carried out. The article benefits from these activities—and I would like to thank anonymous Jordanians, think-tank members, officials at embassies, scholars and students at various universities, and others, for thoughts and comments concerning recent developments in Jordan, the EU dimension, and the MENA region in general.
- 3.
This was stated in interviews by the former and the present Heads of Delegation to the EEAS in Amman, Patrick Renauld and Joanna Wronecka, respectively.
- 4.
The opinion poll surveyed 100 Jordanian opinion leaders and later 400 members of the general public in Jordan.
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Seeberg, P. (2016). Jordan, the European Neighbourhood Policy, and Commonalities of Interest: Building a Security Partnership Rather Than a Security Community. In: Rieker, P. (eds) External Governance as Security Community Building. The European Union in International Affairs. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56169-5_7
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