THE EUROPEAN UNION EXTERNAL BORDER. AN EPISTEMOLOGICAL APPROACH

Abstract. The approach of the European Union external border has been made on the one hand through an analysis of the concepts of external border from the point of view of official documents and the concepts introduced by authors and specialists in the field; on the other hand, it has been made through an attempt to seize certain types of symbolic and ideological borders. As far as the first category is concerned, resorting to documents and legal regulations of European institutions has been highly important. We have also paid attention to conceptual approaches on the border, as well as on the relations “open – close”, “inclusive – exclusive”, or “soft – hard” border. Beyond physical border irrespective of the conceptual approach from whose perspective it is analysed either within or at the European Union border, we can identify other types of “borders”. We consider these borders symbolic and ideological as they are not palpable more often than not. From Europeanism to nationalism, from ethno-religious identities to social chasm, this wide range of approaches on symbolic and ideological borders may continue in the context of new fight against terrorism or of the implementation of an efficient European neighbourhood policy