The Intersection between Justice and Home Affairs and the European Neighbourhood Policy: Taking Stock of the Logic, Objectives and Practices

This paper by Nicole Wichmann, Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Lucerne, deals with the justice and home affairs (JHA) elements of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The author refutes the core argument advanced by some analysts that the ENP is essentially a comprehensive cross-pillar security initiative by showing that its objectives as well as its instruments are also inspired by common values. She does not deny that the JHA and security elements play a pivotal role in the ENP as a whole, but she argues that the assertion that it is all about security is too simplistic. The paper claims that the ENP, and in particular the JHA elements, is a complex, multilayered initiative that incorporates different logics and instruments. In dissecting the various layers, which is the main objective of the paper, she draws on the findings contained in the literature on the external aspects of JHA and on the ENP.