Rule of Law Promotion in Egypt

Abstract

One obvious link between Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) and European Union (EU) foreign policy resides in the concept of rule of law, which has become central to the EU’s common values along with the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,¹ which the EU promotes in its external relations. The external dimension of JHA and the multiplication of projects in that field have led the EU increasingly to send law enforcement and judiciary practitioners to train Mediterranean counterparts in the various policy fields of JHA cooperation. Rule of law is one of the key values that underpin such training; it is often at the heart of seminars and exchange of best practices and has now been merged into the concepts of ‘security and good governance’. It is in that sense and in the light of fieldwork conducted in Egypt that it appeared opportune to look at how the EU and its Member states have been able in practice to pursue rule of law promotion abroad, through European Union external aid.