The importance of a new external EU policy towards Europe’s neighbourhood is widely acknowledged. But there is a huge gap between ambitions, policy concepts and reality. 

The countries in Northern Africa are highly important in terms of their importance for Europe’s stability and prosperity. Till now, the European view on that region had been largely dominated by a “crisis perspective”: migration, terrorism, energy. 

But a true and sincere strategic partnership must take into account a wider range of cooperation fields and look into potentials rather than threats. 

This discussion will start with an analysis of the status quo of the relationship between Europe and North Africa. It will then explore new approaches of bilateral relations and formulate policy recommendations for European policy makers in engaging with this region in the next legislation term 2024-2029.