On 17-18 September 2015, the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies at the College of Europe, Bruges campus, held a conference to discuss the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) through the prism of EU external relations theory.

Although the ENP has arguably become an important pillar of EU external action over the past decade, and despite the growing body of literature, theoretical approaches attempting to explain and/or predict this policy’s evolution and effects have so far not attracted much scholarly attention. Based on a call for papers, the conference aimed to contribute to the further development of EU external relations theory by explaining the origins, development and effectiveness of the ENP from various perspectives, as well as the role played by Russia and other global actors active in the EU’s neighbourhood.

Keynote address of Dr Johannes HAHN, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations

The conference benefitted from the financial support of the European Commission.