Ideas and ambiguity in European external policy: the case of “conditionality” in migration policies.

The idea of “conditionality” has often been used in EU foreign relations. Considering that it defines a mode of relations with external countries, it is interesting to see that it has not always been used with the same meaning. Since “ideas do not float freely” (Risse-Kappen 1994), but relate to coalitions of actors, access to the political system, and institutions, and various actors can recycle, reframe, or reinterpret concepts, I trace the use – or non-use – of the term in relation to negotiations on migration issues, especially with Morocco, and analyze the meaning(s) different actors have given to the word. The paper relies on oral and written sources from EU, French and Moroccan institutions.

After an initial focus on democratization in accessing countries, the concept of “conditionality” was broadened to the adoption of the entire EU acquis. In the context of “external governance”, EU institutions have been cautious in their use of the word. Nevertheless, it was recently officially endorsed by the Commission and the Council as an instrument for external migration policy towards the Mediterranean. However, this adoption has been contentious among member states as well as among different parts of EU administration, because of debates on the balance between democratization and security objectives.

This paper shows that the hesitations, shifts and ambiguities surrounding the use of conditionality are the result of an internal debate within the EU, as well as a consequence of the strategies of external countries.