Ukraine ? A Perennial Neighbour to the European Union? A Rational Choice Institutionalist Perspective Examining the EU Strategy on Ukraine

The Eastern enlargement of the European Union in 2004 has brought a historical shift for the Union and Ukraine in political, geographic and economic terms. The EU and Ukraine now share a border and, as direct neighbours, the EU is obliged to reinforce political and economic interdependence to Ukraine in terms of gradual economic integration and an enhanced political cooperation in order to secure stability. This strategic partnership is often referred to being based on shared values and norms in terms of the Copenhagen Criteria. According to rational choice institutionalism, RCI, formal and informal norms are regarded as tools in order to obtain a certain strategic outcome. Based on RCI, this thesis examines the strategy of why the EU is unwilling to access Ukraine as a member of the Union and at the same time incorporates Ukraine in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). This thesis suggests that the strategic incentives are security and stability; cost-benefits; and maintaining a certain level of social, economic and democratic development within the EU