:''This article deals with cooperation between the European Union and non-member states. For the use of the term to describe Franco-German cooperation at and since the Treaty of Maastricht, see
France–Germany relations
Relations between France and Germany, or Franco-German relations form an integral part of the wider politics of Europe. Both countries are among the founders and the main leading Member states of the European Union and its predecessor the E ...
''
Privileged partnership is a generic term for cooperation between the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
and a non-EU country to advance common goals
[Wilhelm Knelangen, "A Neighbourhood of Freedom, Security and Justice?", se]
here
/ref> without using EU membership.[Claus Leggewie "Privileged partnership, less democracy?", www.eurozine.com 2008-07-08, se]
here
["BORDERING AND ORDERING THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON EU TERRITORIALITY AND GEOPOLITICS", James Wesley Scott, University of Joensuu, TRAMES, 2009, 13(63/58), 3, 232–247, se]
here
/ref>["THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY: THE EUROPEAN UNION'S NEW ENGAGEMENT TOWARDS WIDER EUROPE", by Sevilay KAHRAMAN, se]
here
/ref>
History
The term is usually used to describe an alternative to EU membership for Turkey that was first floated in November 2002 by Heinrich August Winkler
Heinrich August Winkler (born 19 December 1938 in Königsberg) is a German historian.
With his mother he joined the Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–50), westward flight in 1944, after which he grew up in southern Germany, attending a Gym ...
in Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The ...
Heinrich August Winkler
Heinrich August Winkler (born 19 December 1938 in Königsberg) is a German historian.
With his mother he joined the Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–50), westward flight in 1944, after which he grew up in southern Germany, attending a Gym ...
Wir erweitern uns zu Tode
Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The ...
Nr. 46, 7. November 2002["WHAT IS PRIVILEGED PARTNERSHIP FOR?", Diplomatic Observer, 16 July 2009, se]
here
["Preserving Europe : Offer Turkey a privileged partnership instead" By Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Wednesday, 15 December 2004, se]
/ref> although the term was used previously in 2003 to describe a proposed relationship with Russia["French president speaks for Russia-EU privileged partnership", 31.05.2003, Pravda.ru, se]
here
/ref> and was also used in 2004 for a proposed relationship with Israel.["Spanish foreign minister backs virtual membership for Israel", 03.12.04 @ 09:55 EUObserver, se]
here
/ref>
Since that time, the term has been used for alternatives for EU membership for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo,["Merkel moots privileged partnership for Balkans" 17.03.06 @ 13:49 EUObserver, se]
here
/ref> has since been used retrospectively to characterise relationships with the countries["COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION, European Neighbourhood Policy STRATEGY PAPER, Brussels, 12.5.2004 COM(2004) 373 final se]
here
/ref>["The Eastern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy: A Romanian approach" Iulian Chifu, Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Centre, Bucharest se]
here
[Foreign Ministry, Foreign Policy, Europe, Neighbourhood Policy, from the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, se]
/ref> considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
that were first proposed in the Commission Communication of March 2003,["COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Wider Europe — Neighbourhood: A New Framework for Relations with our Eastern and Southern Neighbours" Brussels, 11.3.2003 COM(2003) 104 final, se]
here
/ref> and is also used for the EU's bilateral relationship with Tunisia["EU-Tunisia: privileged partnership in November, Barroso says: Fule and Bettaieb sign financial aid plans for health, justice" 02 OCTOBER, 19:13, ANSAMed, se]
/ref>["Tunisia to become Privileged Partner to European Union", Hend Hassassi, 29 October 2012, se]
here
["Tunisia’s Privileged Partnership With the European Union", Nadya B’Chir. Translated from Business News (Tunisia), November 2012 se]
and with Russia.["The Economic Rationale of the European Neighborhood Policy", Susanne Milcher, Ben Slay, Mark Collins, United Nations’ Development Programme 2006, se]
here
/ref>
Ultimately the term dates back to 1957 when it was used to characterise Morocco's relationship with the European Economic Community
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...
.["Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy: Comparing the Democratization Impact of the European Union in Morocco and Turkey", Martina Warning, WP 4/2006, CIRES (Italian Research Centre for European Studies), se]
here
By country
Albania
The term was used for a proposed alternative to EU membership for Albania.
Algeria
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Algeria.
Armenia
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Armenia.
Azerbaijan
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Azerbaijan.
Belarus
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Belarus.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The term was used for a proposed alternative to EU membership for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatia
The term was used for a proposed alternative to EU membership for Croatia. The option was dropped in favor of full membership. Croatia joined the union in July 2013.
Egypt
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Egypt.
North Macedonia
The term was used for a proposed alternative to EU membership for North Macedonia.
Georgia
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Georgia.
Israel
The term was used by Spanish foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos
Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé (born 8 June 1951) is a Spanish diplomat and politician, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party and was a member of Congress from 2004 to 2011, where he represented Córdoba. Since 7 January 2019 he is the UN ...
, who spoke out for a "privileged partnership, offering all the benefits of EU membership, without participation in the institutions" for Israel.European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Israel.
Jordan
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Jordan.
Kosovo
The term was used for a proposed alternative to EU membership for Kosovo.
Lebanon
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Lebanon.
Libya
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Libya.
Moldova
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Moldova.
Morocco
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Morocco.
Palestine
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including the Palestinian Authority.
Russia
French President Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...
used the term for a proposed Russia-EU relationship at the Russia-EU summit in 2003.
Serbia and Montenegro
The term was used for a proposed alternative to EU membership for Serbia and Montenegro.
Syria
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Syria.
Tunisia
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Tunisia.
Turkey
Privileged partnership ( tr, İmtiyazlı ortaklık) was the term used by Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Oppo ...
in February 2004Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
which fell short of full membership. The proposal was advanced by CDU/CSU
CDU/CSU, unofficially the Union parties (german: Unionsparteien, ) or the Union, is a centre-right Christian-democratic political alliance of two political parties in Germany: the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Soc ...
members.
Ukraine
The term has been used for the proposed relationship with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries, primarily developing ...
, including Ukraine.
United Kingdom
The term was used by Jacques Delors
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors (born 20 July 1925) is a French politician who served as the 8th President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995. He served as Minister of Finance of France from 1981 to 1984. He was a Member of the European Par ...
for a proposed relationship between the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
should it exit the EU.["Britain could leave EU, says Jacques Delors", 28/12/2012, from France 24, se]
here
/ref>
References
{{reflist, 30em
See also
* Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Turkey is negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU) as a member state, following its application to become a full member of the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the EU, on 14 April 1987.
After the ten founding ...
* Enlargement of the European Union
The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria ...
* Future enlargement of the European Union
There are eight recognised candidates for membership of the European Union: Turkey (since 1999), North Macedonia (2005), Montenegro (2010), Serbia (2012), Albania (2014), Moldova (2022), Ukraine (2022), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2022). Kosov ...
Third-country relations of the European Union