The European Union's Neighbourhood Policy towards the Mediterranean (2003-2015): The European Union's Impotence in an Increasingly Hostile Environment

In March 2015, the new elected European Commission has called a thorough revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). In this context, an assessment of the ENP towards the Mediterranean is urgently needed. This analysis will address specifically its political model and characteristics, taking into account its twin dimension, bilateral and multilateral, and further developments as the Union for the Mediterranean in 2008. The European institutions reacted to the Arab Springs events with a deep reform of the ENP, which will be assessed, assuming its shortcomings to ensure a solid stance for the EU in the region.