Ensuring democracy and effective human rights protection in the Black Sea Region

The completion of the fifth enlargement of the European Union (EU) with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania transformed the union into a Black Sea actor. Irrespective of whether we choose not to question the statute of the Black Sea area as a region or attempt to grasp its complexity, it remains a strategic cross-road and a cultural melting pot at the confluence of Europe, Central Asia and the larger Middle East. The area is marked by longstanding human interaction beyond shifting political borders. However, given its legacy of a strategic buffer zone, as well as its reputation of important transportation hub, the Black Sea region is being primarily regarded from the angle of geo-strategic considerations. So far, this perception of the region has not being favourable to promoting democracy and human rights....