The new program of European Neighborhood: ENI
Under the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) the 11 March 2014 entered into force the Regulation (EU) No. 232/2014, which establishes the new European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI) for the period 2014-2020 and replaces the previous program for the period 2007-2013, ENPI (European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument).
New program ENI allows to EU to offer European neighborhood countries a privileged relationship building upon a mutual commitment to, and promotion of, the values of democracy and human rights, the rule of law, good governance and the principles of a market economy and sustainable and inclusive development, as well as a framework for enhanced mobility and a regional integration, including cross-border cooperation (CBC).
It will provide the bulk of funding for the neighborhood countries through bilateral, multi-country (including regional and sub-regional cooperation) and cross-border cooperation programs.
Main elements of the ENI are: identification of specific objectives, which allow to get the EU support; implementation of an incentive based approach to get the support and of differentiation on the basis of clearly defined criteria; identification of key points of reference (action plans or other equivalent jointly agreed documents) for setting the priorities of support; streamlining the programming process, based on the possession or absence of action plans or equivalent documents; promotion of political initiatives, as the Eastern Partnership between the EU and its eastern neighbors, the Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity and the Union for the Mediterranean in the southern neighborhood; enforcing regional cooperation throughout the European Neighborhood within the framework of the Northern Dimension Partnership policy or the Black Sea synergy and cross-border cooperation (CBC), implemented through multi-annual joint operational programs; promoting closer links with EU policies and instruments; identification of the specific status of the Russian Federation as both a Union neighbor and a strategic partner in multi-country, regional and cross-border cooperation programs.
The program budget for the period from 2014 to 2020 is set at EUR 15.4 billion, of which up to 5 % is allocated to the cross-border cooperation programs.