The EU and its partners

The European Union European Union In 1957, Germany was one of the six founding members of today’s EU, along with France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The EU is currently made up of 27 states; the euro is the official currency in 20 of them. For Germany, European integration forms the basis for peace, security and… Read more › pursues the goal of creating a stable, secure and prosperous common area within its outer borders. This also includes maintaining close and friendly relations with the EU’s immediate neighbours, and this is likewise a key element of German foreign policy.

The EU has maintained a systematic European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) since 2004. This shapes the Community’s relations with 16 neighbouring states in the South – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Tunisia and (partly suspended or with observer status) Libya and Syria – and in the East with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

The first group of nations comes under the heading of the “ Euro Euro The euro is the currency of the European Monetary Union and after the US dollar the second most important member of the international currency system. Together with the nation­al central banks, the European Central Bank (ECB), head­quartered in Frankfurt/Main, is responsible for monetary policy… Read more › -Mediterranean Partnership”, while the latter group comprises the “Eastern Partnership”. Under the umbrella of the ENP both groups have their own committees and sets of objectives, whereby the underlying idea is the same in both cases: to forge closer ties and share standards and values.

The ENP is not to be confused with the EU’s enlargement agenda. The ENP makes no preliminary decisions about possible accession to the EU, but rather is an instrument for maintaining favourable relations with neighbouring countries and in this way stable conditions in the immediate vicinity. In the process, the European Union European Union In 1957, Germany was one of the six founding members of today’s EU, along with France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The EU is currently made up of 27 states; the euro is the official currency in 20 of them. For Germany, European integration forms the basis for peace, security and… Read more › offers its neighbours a privileged partnership under the condition that both sides commit to the values of democracy and human rights Human rights The respect and strengthening of human rights worldwide are a cornerstone of German Federal Government policy. Together with its EU partners it is committed to protecting and continually advancing human rights standards throughout the world. This occurs in close collaboration with the institutions… Read more › , the rule of law, responsible governance, the principles of the market economy, and sustainable development.

The partnership also includes regular political exchange, intensive economic cooperation, and stronger mobility from and into the EU. Together with each country, the EU regularly devises a bilateral Action Plan and specifies priorities for political and economic reforms.

The ENP also supports implementation of these action plans by providing financial resources and technical cooperation. In doing so, the neighbourhood policy follows the principle of “more for more”: those who do more to promote the expansion of democratic reforms and liberal societies receive more support. In 2021 the European Union European Union In 1957, Germany was one of the six founding members of today’s EU, along with France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The EU is currently made up of 27 states; the euro is the official currency in 20 of them. For Germany, European integration forms the basis for peace, security and… Read more › created the so-called Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe). This brings together a number previously highly fragmented funding programmes, such as the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) and the European Development Fund (EDF). It has been allocated a total of 79.5 billion euros for the period up until 2027.

High priority is attached to cooperation with the neighbouring continent of Africa. In 2022, the leaders of the EU and the African Union agreed on a common vision for the partnership going forward. The objectives here are solidarity, security, peace, prosperity and sustainable and continuous economic development for the citizens of the African Union and the European Union European Union In 1957, Germany was one of the six founding members of today’s EU, along with France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The EU is currently made up of 27 states; the euro is the official currency in 20 of them. For Germany, European integration forms the basis for peace, security and… Read more › . The partnership aims to bring together people, regions and organisations.