Abstract
To explicate the EU’s policy of regionalization in the South Caucasus this chapter draws on the theory of regionalism retrieving relevant concepts/notions. Most importantly, it suggests at the outset that “regionalism” connotes internal triggers aimed at the creation of a regional order, while “regionalization” presupposes both external and internal endeavors. All the pertinent European agents promoting regional cooperation are uncovered. Three layers of regionalization (intra-regional , trans-regional , cross-regional , inter-regional ) and four levels (nano- , micro- , meso- , macro- ) fostered by the EU are identified. These are not identical to the categories segmented in the policy documents. The research shows that the EU’s “power” has been “actual” on the moral parameters of consequentialism, coherence and inclusiveness, “largely potential” on the balance between values and interests, and “potential” “power” on consistency, normative steadiness and external legitimacy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Armenpress. (2016, April 8). President of Armenia: Non-Recognition of Independence of Nagorno Karabakh is Compromise from Armenian Side. Retrieved from https://armenpress.am/eng/news/842755/.html.
Asbarez. (2011, May 16). No Reconciliation Without Genocide Recognition, Says Sarkisian. Retrieved from http://asbarez.com/95893/no-reconciliation-without-genocide-recognition-says-sarkisian/.
Bertelsmann Stiftung. (2016a). Armenia Country Report. Gutersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung.
Bertelsmann Stiftung. (2016b). Azerbaijan Country Report. Gutersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung.
Bertelsmann Stiftung. (2016c). Georgia Country Report. Gutersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung.
Bertelsmann Stiftung. (n.d.). Transformation Index 2016. Retrieved from https://www.bti-project.org/en/home/.
Breslin, S., & Higgott, R. (2000). Studying Regions: Learning from the Old, Constructing the New. New Political Economy, 5(3), 333–352.
Council of the European Union. (2003). A Secure Europe Is a Better World: European Security Strategy. Brussels: Council of the European Union.
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit. (2014). GIZ South Caucasus Together in Europe. Bonn and Eschborn: Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit.
Edwards, M. (2004). Future Positive: International Co-operation in the 21st Century. London: Earthscan.
EU Neighborhood Info Center. (2012). EU Neighborhood Barometer: Azerbaijan. Retrieved from http://euneighbourhood.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/FactsheetENPI_wave2-AZ-EN1.pdf.
EU Neighborhood Info Center. (2013a). Most Armenians Want Greater EU Role, Poll Finds. Retrieved from http://www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=32838&id_type=1&lang_id=450.
EU Neighborhood Info Center. (2013b). EU-Georgia: Poll Finds Vast Majority of Georgians Want Greater EU Role. Retrieved from http://www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=32842&id_type=1&lang_id=450.
EU Neighbors. (n.d.). East: Projects. Retrieved from https://www.euneighbours.eu/en/east/eu-in-action/projects/all.
European Commission. (1999a). The European Union and the Republic of Armenia. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (1999b). The European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (1999c). The European Union and the Republic of Georgia. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2000). Report from the Commission: The TACIS Programme Annual Report 1999. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2006a). European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument: ENPI Eastern Regional Programme Strategy Paper 2007–2013. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2006b). European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument: ENPI Eastern Regional Indicative Programme 2007–2010. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2006c). European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument: ENPI Interregional Programme Strategy Paper 2007–2013 and Indicative Paper 2007–2010. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2006d). EU/Armenia Action Plan. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2006e). EU/Azerbaijan Action Plan. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2006f). EU/Georgia Action Plan. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2007a). European Neighborhood & Partnership Instrument, Cross-Border Cooperation: Strategy Paper 2007–2013 and Indicative Programme 2007–2010. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission. (2007b, March 11). Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Black Sea Synergy—A New Regional Cooperation Initiative. Brussels: European Commission.
European Council and Council of the European Union. (n.d.). Public Register. Retrieved from http://www.consilium.europa.eu/register/en/content/int/?lang=EN&typ=ADV.
European Parliament. (2002). EU relations with South Caucasus. European Parliament Resolution on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the European Union’s Relations with the South Caucasus, Under the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (COM(1999) 272 – C5-0116/1999 – 1999/2119(COS)). Retrieved from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/euro/pcc/aag/pcc_meeting/resolutions/2002_02_28.pdf.
European Parliament. (2004a, February 2). Report with a Proposal for a European Parliament Recommendation to the Council on EU Policy Towards the South Caucasus, 2003/2225 (INI). Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy. Rapporteur: Per Gahrton (A 5-0052/2004). Retrieved from http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade2?L=EN&OBJID=67241&LEVEL=3&MODE=SIP&NAV=X&LSTDOC=N.
European Parliament. (2004b). EU Policy Towards South Caucasus. European Parliament Resolution with a European Parliament Recommendation to the Council on EU Policy Towards the South Caucasus 2003/2225(INI)). Retrieved from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+TA+P5-TA-2004-0122+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN.
European Parliament. (2006). Briefing Note on the ‘Frozen Conflicts’ in the South Caucasus, the General Situation in the Region and its EU-Relations DGExPo/B/PolDep/Note/2006_026 [PE N°366.180]. Retrieved from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/nt/604/604272/604272en.pdf.
European Parliament. (2008). A more Effective EU Policy for the South Caucasus. European Parliament Resolution of 17 January 2008 on a more Effective EU Policy for the South Caucasus: From Promises to Actions (2007/2076(INI)). Retrieved from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P6-TA-2008-0016&language=EN.
European Parliament. (2010). The Need for an EU Strategy for the South Caucasus. European Parliament Resolution of 20 May 2010 on the Need for an EU Strategy for the South Caucasus (2009/2216(INI)). Retrieved from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+TA+P7-TA-2010-0193+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN.
European Union External Action Service. (2016). Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe—A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy. Retrieved from http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/top_stories/pdf/eugs_review_web.pdf.
German, T. (2012). Good Neighbors of Distant Relatives: Regional Identity and Cooperation in the South Caucasus. Central Asian Survey, 31(2), 137–151.
Hettne, B., & Soderbaum, F. (2000). Theorizing the Rise of Regionness. New Political Economy, 5(3), 457–473.
International Energy Agency. (n.d.). About EU4Energy. Retrieved from https://www.eu4energy.iea.org/about.
Ministry of Defense and Republic of Armenia. (2007). Republic of Armenia: National Security Strategy. Yerevan: Ministry of Defense.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova. (n.d.). About GUAM. Retrieved from http://www.mfa.gov.md/about-guam-en/.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. (2005). National Security Concept of Georgia. Tbilisi: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. (2012). National Security Concept of Georgia. Tbilisi: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Republic of Azerbaijan. (2007). National Security Concept of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Baku: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
New Neighbors. (2006). The Project: About the Project. Retrieved from http://www.newneighbors.am/about_project.htm.
Petrov, R., & Kalinichenko, P. (2016). On Similarities and Differences of the European Union and Eurasian Economic Union Legal Orders: Is There the ‘Eurasian Economic Union Acquis’? Legal Issues of Economic Integration, 43(3), 295–307.
Smith, K. (2003). European Union Foreign Policy in a Changing World. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Soderbaum, F., & Van Langenhove, L. (2006). Introduction: The EU as a Global Actor and the Role of Interregionalism. In F. Soderbaum & L. Van Langenhove (Eds.), The EU as a Global Player: The Politics of Interregionalism (pp. 1–14). London and New York: Routledge.
South Caucasus Integration. (2006). Alternative Start. Retrieved from http://www.southcaucasus.com/index.php?page=about&lang=en.
Telo, M. (2006). Europe: A Civilian Power? European Union, Global Governance, World Order. Houndmills, Basingstoke and Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Trans-Adriatic Pipeline. (n.d.). Strategic Partnerships. Retrieved from https://www.tap-ag.com/the-pipeline/the-big-picture/strategic-partnerships.
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council. (2005). Activity Report 1997–present. Retrieved from http://www.tabdc.org/report.php.
Van Langenhove, L. (2003). Theorising Regionhood (W-2003-1). United Nations University, Comparative Regional Integration Studies. Retrieved from http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/nispacee/unpan015229.pdf#search=‘Van%20Langenhove%20Theorising%20Regionhood’’.
Vasilyan, S. (2006). The Policy of Regional Cooperation in the South Caucasus (Working Paper 24). Buenos Aires: Argentinean Center of International Studies.
Vasilyan, S. (2008). The Banal Philosophy and the Realizable Utopia of the EU’s Neighborhood Policy—‘Medicine’ for the South Caucasian ‘Region’? Actual Policy: Journal for Free Political Concepts, 1(6), 10–13.
Vasilyan, S. (2009). The EU’s Ambitious Regionalization of the South Caucasus. In P. De Lombaerde & M. Schulz (Eds.), The ‘Makability’ of Regions: The EU and World Regionalism (pp. 205–221). Farnham: Ashgate.
Vasilyan, S. (2014). Apposition of the EU’s Regionalization and Regionalism in the South Caucasus. Regional Dialogue. Tbilisi: Caucasian House. Retrieved from http://regional-dialogue.com/en/syuzanna-vasilyan-apposition-of-the-eus-policy-of-regionalization-of-and-regionalism-in-the-south-caucasus/.
Vasilyan, S. (2016a). “Swinging on a Pendulum”: Armenia in the Eurasian Economic Union and with the European Union. Problems of Post-communism, 61(4), 32–46.
Vasilyan, S. (2016b). Comparing European Union’s Policy Towards the Western Balkans and the South Caucasus. In S. Gstohl (Ed.), The European Neighborhood Policy in a Comparative Perspective: Models, Challenges, Lessons (pp. 163–181). London: Routledge.
Vasilyan, S. (2018a). Novel Solutions to Resolve the Conflicts in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood (College of Europe Policy Brief (CEPOB) series #2.18). Bruges, Belgium. Retrieved from https://www.coleurope.eu/news/new-issue-college-europe-policy-brief-series-cepob-25.
Vasilyan, S. (2018b). EU’s Grit with Regionalization: An Antidote for the South Caucasus and the Black Sea (STRATPOL Policy Paper). Brussels and Brno: Strategic Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://stratpol.sk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web-VASILYAN_PolicyPaper-Brief.pdf.
Vayrynen, R. (2003). Regionalism: Old and New. International Studies Review, 5, 25–51.
Vilpisauskas, R., Alisauskas, R., Kasciunas, L., Dambrauskaite, Z., Sinica, V., Levchenko, I., & Chirila, V. (2012). Eurasian Union: A Challenge for the European Union and the Eastern Partnership Countries. Vilnius: Eastern Europe Studies Centre. Retrieved from http://www.eesc.lt/uploads/news/id415/Studija%20apie%20Eurazija_EN.pdf.
Welsh, H. A., & Willerton, J. P. (1997). Regional Cooperation and the CIS: West European Lessons and Post-Soviet Experience. International Politics, 34, 33–61.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Vasilyan, S. (2020). “Moral Power” of the EU through its Regionalization Policy in the South Caucasus. In: 'Moral Power' of the European Union in the South Caucasus. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60198-8_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60198-8_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-60196-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-60198-8
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)