Discursive Constructions of the EU's Identity in the Neighbourhood: An Equal Among Equals or the Power Centre?

Using critical discourse analysis, this article explores the discursive self-representations of the EU in its official documents related to the European Neighbourhood Policy. Its main claim is that the EU's position towards its neighbourhood basically oscillates between two contradictory positions - that of a power centre, asymmetrically dominating its neighbourhood, and that of an equal among equals, thus offering a more benign face to its neighbours. Two discursive areas frequently mentioned in the documents are analysed: the notion of joint ownership and the EU's stance towards the frozen conflict, showing that each of the two facets of EU's identity may become dominant under particular circumstances.