SEARCH · Sharing KnowledgE Assets: InteRegionally Cohesive NeigHborhoods

The EU has experienced successive enlargements in recent years with the incorporation of new countries. These have changed the EU map, broadening frontiers and thus appearing new neighbouring countries. The integration of them offers new opportunities but also implies some risks. Even though the ENP has demonstrated to be an integration tool, which has provided an effective and clear framework to establish cooperation links within neighbouring countries, some are important areas with considerable potential for further progress. SEARCH will focus attention on some areas which so far have been neglected in the analysis of the impact of the ENP but which are of central interest in the economic literature on cohesion. Divided in 8 WPs. WP1 will obtain a background framework. From WP2 to WP5, scientific research will be carried out analyzing different aspects that ENP should strengthen in the future. WP6 will collect and analyse the policy implications from previous research. WP7 will communicate the research results and the policy recommendations through the correct communication channels to the potential users. WP8 will ensure the coordination of the SEARCH project consortium work with the previous experience of UB-AQR. It includes a remarkable well-balanced consortium with partners from 16 different countries, different backgrounds and expertise, giving an extensive vision to focus adequately to the project’s objective of identifying policies that will strengthen the relationship between the EU and the NCs. Main impacts will be the advance on the research on ENP state of the art, obtaining relevant results for contributing to the formulation of future ENP, the involvement of relevant communities, stakeholders and practitioners in ENP research, the critical mass of resources involved and the establishment of a basis to develop new strategic partnership among EU and NCs. In short, SEARCH is a well defined project, relevant to the topic and with an experienced consortium