European Integration: The Return of the ‘Communities’ Model

European integration spans social, political and economic spheres. As the EU develops its integration relations with third countries in the context of its European Neighbourhood Policy, it is clear that a common vision of social, political and economic union is not held by all. This means that EU membership for ENP states is not likely, making it difficult for the EU to rely on membership linked conditionality. A return to the ‘communities’ model rather than a ‘union’ model may enhance integration in ‘selected’ areas of common, strategic importance. Using the Energy Community as a casestudy, the paper suggests that building a separate structure outside of the Union framework provides incentive for non-EU states to engage with the common energy policy, and operate within the framework of a legally binding treaty system without the requirement to meet a wider set of political conditions, thus overcoming the problem of integration stagnation.