Migration and mobility in the EUs Eastern neighbourhood: mapping out the legal and political framework

Migration and mobility is an increasingly important topic within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The very first ENP Strategy Papers already acknowledged that perspectives for lawful migration and common efforts to combat illegal migration, as well as the establishment of efficient mechanisms for return, are crucial determinants for successful cooperation with neighbouring countries. With the first revision of the ENP the issue of migration and mobility was encapsulated in the two regional dimensions of the ENP covering respectively the Eastern Partnership (EaP) and the Southern Mediterranean. The focus of this chapter is on the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood and EU-related instruments, systematized in three main groups: (1) legally binding instruments; (2) non-legally binding instruments; and (3) operational and cooperation instruments. In addition, this chapter evaluates the effectiveness of the EU’s efforts in light of the EaP’s policy objective to ensure enhanced mobility of citizens in a secure and well-managed environment.