MULTILATERAL DESIGNS IN THE EU'S EXTERNAL RELATIONS: THE EASTERN PARTNESHIP AND THE UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN

Abstract

Adding a regional dimension to EU cooperation with Eastern European countries corresponded to what already existed in the Mediterranean context. The two multilateral designs complement advanced bilateral relations and bear some resemblances, such as the ideas of variable geometry and differentiation. Nevertheless, their prospects appear to differ. While they are both recent in time, the Union for the Mediterranean aims at resuscitating a process which failed due to the lack of interest and antagonisms of its partners, while the Eastern Partnership is a promising multilateral design, not the least because of the almost unqualified support of the interested nations.