The European Union - near east relations in economic terms within the framework of the european neighborhood policy

Europe and Near East relations comprise very long years in historical process. In this process which reaches until Crusades relations between two sides relocated throghout military level to political level. Europe could not be arbiter until the beginning of 1800s in the East. After these years it was the hegamon power until end of the World War II. Europe gave rain its dominance to America after the War and tended to integration efforts between itself. After the panning out these efforts European Community created its first policy, Global Medditerranean Policy which intended for the Near East in 1972. However this policy didn?t succeed. As a concequance in 1995 Euro- Mediterranean Partnership which also known as a Barcelona Process was started with Barcelona Conference. After ten years, with the biggest historical enlargement of European Union and because of the fall down of Barcelona Process, European Union created the European Neighbourhood Policy containing relations with Near East. Neighbourhood Policy aimes to improve defficiency aspects of Barcelona Process and provide stable relations with neighbours of EU. EU?s base aim of creating this policy is provide politic and economic development of its neighbours and create a safe and stable prosperity area within the respect of democracy, human rights and rule of law. Besides, with the Neighbourhood Policy, EU aimes to share of positive results of its historical enlargement with its neighbours and to achieve further integration with them. Mashreq region which also known as Near East is one of the important region of Neighbourhood Policy. Mashreq is the region which EU has a most troubled relations within Neighbourhood Policy. In this region the aim of the EU is to converge the Mashreq countries to European values and criteria in the context of politics and economics. For this reason EU publishes reports, plans and documents for Mashreq countries to place relations in formal status. These documents present lack of regional countries and aline what has to be done. Besides, European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument which was created within the framework of the Neighbourhood Policy provides financial fund support to neighbourhood policy to achieve their economic and political reforms. However, in Mashreq region conflict of countries between themselves and also negative stand against Europe obstructs to EU?s efforts in this way. Because of that, effects of Policy appears to be limited in political and economic area. Key Words: 1) Near East, 2) Barcelona Process, 3) European Neighbourhood Policy, 4) European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument, 5) Political and Economic Effects