SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON ROMANIA’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE NEW EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY

Initiative supported by Romania even from its pre-accession years, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is now even more in the attention of the policy-makers. Being at the Eastern frontier of the European Union, Romania is confronted with higher responsibilities and also potential risks related to the challenges this region is confronted with. Romania intends to play a pro-active role in the ENP, being also a promoter of regional cooperation initiatives in the area. Supporting the projects aimed at creating and consolidating a stability and security area in the Eastern neighbourhood, pleading permanently for an increased attention not to overlap the different cooperation initiatives (either the ENP overall framework or the Black Sea Synergy, the Eastern Partnership and so on) Romania is also focusing on increasing the role of the civil society in the area. Romania should find ways to turn to good account the opportunities deriving from its potential of stability and security factor in the area, its aspiration to be a catalyst of regional cooperation in the area, by largely using the instruments offered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, also concentrating on its contribution to the constant adaptation of these instruments and to finding new solutions to deal with the challenges of this part of the EU neighbourhood.