România: o punte de trecere spre vecinii din estul Uniunii Europene
Romania: A Bridge Towards the Eastern Neighbors of the European Union

Summary/Abstract: The European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) is shaped according to the institutional and procedural experience of the EU's enlargement. Thus, it wishes to elaborate an alternative method in terms of EU-neighboring countries relationship, a relationship based on common values that are shared by both parties of the partnership. This article suggests that although according to this policy, where EU neighbors which accept the ENP have no membership perspective, they do have to respect some of the EU’s conditions in terms of policies, cooperation or economic aspects once they agree and sign the ENP. Such a situation assumes that the involvement of different border member countries in EU- EU neighbors relationship is very important, mainly because of their geographic, economic and in some cases their cultural proximity to the neighbors. The article will continue by presenting to the readers the implementing process of ENP at the EU’s Eastern borders. At this level, Romania, as a new member state starting with 2007, will begin to have an important role in this process. Its bilateral agreements with The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine must also follow a European path in terms of cooperation, trade or political issues. For both these countries, Romania developed strategic approaches, based on their previous collaborations and on signed bilateral agreements. Even though the ENP was initiated by EU, it brings positive aspects on multiple levels to the targeted neighbors as well and represents in this respect a WIN-WIN situation.

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