Presentation of the European Neighbouring Space

Résumé En

This chapter provides a profile of Europe’s neighbouring territories. It highlights the role of transport and energy networks, which draw the delineation of the region. Europe is the centre of this area, and dominates the exchanges in a core-periphery pattern with its neighbours. Yet, we show that the European influence in the region is declining, especially in the Middle East, and in Eastern Europe where Russia is recreating its former area of influence thanks to its Eurasian customs union. What prospective can be figured out? The neighbourhoods offer key opportunities to Europe in terms of workforce, markets and business opportunities. Energy, too, is a major field of potential cooperation and win-win opportunities with the neighbours; but it could also prove worrisome if we cannot implement collectively the energy transition –air pollution does not stop at EU borders. Moreover, Europe has to confront many challenges in its neighbourhoods: environmental risks, water scarcity, non-inclusive growth, political unrest. The prerequisite to turn ignorance into cooperation is changing the Europeans’ vision on their neighbours. For the moment, European press pays scant attention to them, as is underlined in the last section.