EAP COUNTRIES CONVERGENCE WITH EUROPEAN STANDARDSINBORDER MANAGEMENT:EUROPEANISATION DRIVEN BY EU'S DEMANDS OR DOMESTIC AGENDA?

Abstract

This article addresses Europeanization in third countries and aims to map and explain compliance

patterns in EU’s Eastern neighbourhood. This study attempts to define under what conditions the EU can

trigger the transformation beyond its borders and to explore whether EU’s conditionality principle in the absence of membership prospect can motivate reforms at domestic level and if not, what drives Europeanisation processes in these countries. This research is concerned with sector - specific explanations and dynamics of sectoral reforms under the European Neighbourhood Policy and Eastern Partnership. Metic-

ulous investigation of Border Management reforms in Georgia and Ukraine provide profound insights for the final research findings.

Keywords: Europeanisation, Conditionality, Border Management, Georgia, Ukraine