Values in the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy: Political Rhetoric or Reflection of a Coherent Policy?∗

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is often justified by references to its unprecedented emphasis on the “commitment to shared values ” in future EU relations with its vicinity. Few attempts have been made, however, to critically reflect on the “values di-mension ” of the ENP. This article examines if the ENP can be suffi-ciently justified on the basis of the political values it embodies: It explores the extent to which the declared commitment to values in the ENP is based on a wider consensus at the EU-level; the chang-ing emphasis on “shared values ” in the policy over time; and the degree to which the ENP adds to institutionalising political values in future EU relations with its neighbours