Privileged partnership is a generic term for increased cooperation between the European Union and a non-EU country to advance common goals, often without pursuing EU membership.
History
The term was initially used to describe an alternative to EU membership for Turkey that was first floated in November 2002 by Heinrich August Winkler in Die Zeit and later formally proposed in 2004, although the term was used previously in 2003 to describe a proposed relationship with Russia and was also used in 2004 for a proposed relationship with Israel.
Since that time, the term has been used for alternatives for EU membership for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. It has since been used retrospectively to characterize relationships with the countries considered in 2004 for the European Neighbourhood Policy that were first proposed in the Commission Communication of March 2003, and is also used for the EU's bilateral relationship with Tunisia and with Russia.
Ultimately, the term dates back to 1957 when it was used to characterize Morocco's relationship with the European Economic Community.
By country
Albania
The term was used for a proposed alternative to EU membership for Albania.
See also
- Eastern Partnership
- Enlargement of the European Union
- European integration
- European Union Association Agreement
- Potential enlargement of the European Union