Russia and the European Union: The Northern Dimension

Relations between Russia and the European Union (EU) are based on three main pillars: the Partnership and Cooperation Act (PCA) of 1994, the Common Strategy of the European Union on Russia (first adopted in 1995 and revised at the Cologne summit in the summer of 1999), and the Northern Dimension initiative. The PCA and the Common Strategy presented an extensive menu of cooperation possibilities that could link the EU and Russia. In particular, more dialogue on economic and foreign policy and an action plan to fight organized crime were expected. It should be noted, however, that both documents treated Russia as an undifferentiated space and were aimed mainly at cooperation at the government-to-government level (although some EU programs have paid attention to cooperation with Russian regions). […]

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