The EU’s initial interests in the Wider Black Sea Area
The EU’s initial interests in the Wider Black Sea Area

Summary/Abstract: In order to successfully pursue its political interests in the WBSA, the EU needs first and foremost to develop close relations based on trust with all it partners in the WBSA. Shared values and a shared world view between like-minded states are crucial in this regard. The main challenge for the EU is to pursue the objective of democratizing the countries of the WBSA. Security is the second most important challenge which the EU faces in the WBSA, both in terms of addressing the ‘frozen conflicts’ (and other potential hotspots such as Crimea in Ukraine) which abound in the region and of constructing a stable security architecture. Similar to the challenge of democratisation, the logic goes that if the region is rid of its security problems, trade and economic cooperation will flourish and bring more prosperity to the EU and the region as a whole. The paper argues that by seriously addressing those two challenges (democratization and security) the EU may yet become an effective player in the WBSA.

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