Descriptions of the profiles of the ENP and EaP in the subchapters above has revealed how important they are in the external dimension of the European Union’s policy. Moreover, they are regarded as a transformative tools of the Union towards the neighbourhood. For this reasons it will be justifiable to take the ENP as a broad context for the analysis of the EU as normative actor. But in our analysis we are following certain time frame that covers 2009-2013. This is explained by the establishment of the Eastern Partnership in the same year. In the chapter above, referring to several authors we have argued that the launch of the Eastern Partnership was also envisaged to overcome the pitfalls of the ENP. Being more ambitious and more inclusive approach, the EaP gives additional impetus to bilateral relations. Therefore considering 2009 as breaking point for intensification of the relations we expect to find more normative pretexts within the stated timeframe.
As we have mentioned before, the design of the qualitative analysis has been derived from the theoretical framework which equipped us with 4 important normative categories, 3 of which we are applying in the following analysis. I will use document analysis as an assessment tool included into qualitative research methods. Document analysis method relies on the interpretation of documents. Such interpretation may require coding of elements and grouping them to focus on specific aspects that we are aiming to assess. For analysis we use one of primary types of documents – public records – as long as we evaluate official documents and reports issued by the EU in regard to Eastern Neighbourhood. The selection of the documents has been made in line with:
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the context we have chosen – European Neighbourhood Policy after the launch of the Eastern Partnership
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the time-frame set to be from 2009 to 2013
The documents to be analysed:
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Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit. Prague, 7 May 2009
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Implementation of the Eastern Partnership: Report to the meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers, December 13, 2010.
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Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2010 Report: Eastern Partnership.
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Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit, Warsaw, 29-30 September 2011
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Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2011 Regional Report: Eastern Partnership.
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Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit, Vilnius, 28-29 November 2013
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Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2013 Regional report: Eastern Partnership.
4.4.1 Defining the categories of qualitative analysis
To assure the normative nature of the EU we need to prove a physical presence of categories which, according Manners, are indispensable part of Normative Power Europe in the official EU external policy. These are normative values, mechanisms and goals.
Normative values. In the theoretical part we have argued that normative power is based on relevant values and principles. Moreover, Manners singled out 3 core norms that distinguish the European identity – democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights. This ternary was supplemented further by adding fundamental freedoms. To incorporate these principles into normative calculations we need to justify that they have objective and legitimate nature.
Objectivity of abovementioned norms can be explained by their universal character. These norms have been existing in numerous declarations and charters (Universal Declaration of Human Rights and UN Covenants, as well as the Helsinki Final Act, the Paris Charter, and the Council of Europe/European Convention on Human Rights) accepted not only by the European states, but also by a number of other countries with different political systems and political environments, for whom these norms were quite challenging. This might be a point to dispel the doubts concerning alleged interests that one may pursue behind them, particularly raised by Smith (2001). Yet it is more common that these norms usually face stark opposition of regimes inclined to authoritarianism in the EU neighbourhood and elsewhere. However, when this enmity is observed from ethical point of view, we can understand that interests of such regimes do not express entirely public interests. Therefore, eventual collision of regime’s interests and aforementioned norms should not be equated to a challenge of state interests by the EU, as the regimes try to introduce individual, clientil interests as the favour of the whole society and state. As for the legitimacy of pronciples is concerned, we can appeal to “external reference point” advocated by Manners as the source for legitimacy. The most explicitly formulated reference point is the Article 2 of TEU which affirms that the EU is founded on the principles of democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, and consequenlty, all its external actions are conducted in line with them.
Normative mechanisms. Theoretical considerations in the theoretical part considerably limit our selection of mechanisms of normative diffusion. Major categories that we must rely on when defining normative mechanisms are non-coercion and co-optiveness. In other words, normative mechanisms need to be agents of socialization. This leads us to a first normative tool – cooperation. However, cooperation in the normative context has to be supported by the principle of joint ownership. The latter implies that the EU will not seek to impose own prioritizes over partners and mutual interests will be taken into account when setting the framework of cooperation. Another normative instrument that meets our requirements is – dialogue. This tool can be developed from a broad mechanism named by Manners – procedural diffusion. Dialogue envisages gradual inclusion of normative elements into the agenda of institutionalized relations and hence, facilitates socialization. And eventually the last normative tool we consider plausible here is – exchange. But in this context we deviate from transference point of view that suggests material exchanges – of goods, services. In our considerations we focus on the exchange of practices that aim to foster socialization of norms.
Normative goals. As we have stated in the theoretical part a very basic goal of Normative Power Europe is to promote norms and values it relies on. However, in practical use, this goal may be formulated in various ways. Therefore, we will detach normative goals out of the context of the documents we are to analyse.
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