As part of the project EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots, co-funded by the European Union and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), we are opening calls for researchers to take part in five different Joint Study Groups.

The EuroMeSCo Joint Study Groups 2023 will be made up of four Authors, including a Coordinator, who will jointly produce a Policy Study over a period of 6-7 months. Interested researchers may apply as Author or as Author and Coordinator to each Joint Study Group. In both cases, they will have to complete the online form and submit their application by Sunday 28 May 2023, 23:59 CET..

Here is a brief description of the rationale of this Joint Study Group:

The future of the Southern Neighbourhood policy : scenarios and policy implications

The European Neighbourhood Policy will celebrate its 20^th anniversary this year. While the Commission is likely to focus on the implementation of the New Agenda for the Mediterranean presented in 2021 and unlikely to promote a full-fledged review of the ENP before the end of its current mandate in 2024, there is a growing recognition that the ENP has lost traction and the case for such a review is building-up in Brussels and in capitals where under-the-radar discussions have already started on how this should be done.

Recent developments affecting the Eastern Neighbourhood (with the creation of the European Political Community and the candidate status being granted to Ukraine and Moldova) have not only created a momentum for the EU to instil new dynamism into the Southern dimension of its neighbourhood policy but also questioned the very relevance and added value of the single umbrella of the ENP.

The ENP seems poorly equipped to satisfy new ambitions for a more transactional, geopolitical and flexible approach of the EU foreign policy in its southern neighbourhood.

Traditional flagships and approaches of the ENP such as the DCFTAs have shown their limitations. Last, the phasing out of the European Neighbourhood Instrument and the difficulties to sequence the political approach (with delayed adoption of partnership priorities) with the financial programming have also shown the limitations of the ENP.

The Joint Study Group could:

• Feed above-mentioned discussions and offer policy options and recommendations for the next Commission.
• Work on concrete policy, technical and financial scenarios and ramifications that such a change would entail, rather than focusing in lengths on why an overhaul of the ENP might be needed.

The resulting Policy Study will target primarily EU institutions and member states. Only a condensed version could possibly be made public in some form.

In line with this objective, this Joint Study Group would work along a slightly different methodology as other EuroMeSCo Joint Study Groups, with a reinforced space for interactions and exchange with representatives of EU institutions, member states and EU partner countries.

You may apply to more than one Joint Study Group but may eventually only be selected to join one of them.

See the EuroMeSCo Joint Study Groups 2023 Terms of Reference for more information.