La politica europea di promozione della rule of law in Romania e Serbia-Montenegro

Starting from the 1990s the EU has been playing a very active role in promoting rule of law reforms both in candidate countries and potential member states. In the current decade it is therefore possible to compare variable strategies of rule of law promotion across different groups of countries. The paper aims at describing and examining the range of EU rule of law promotion initiatives and instruments. Through the analysis of EU official documents (Regular Reports, Accession Partnership, Strategy Papers etc.) a definition of the notion of rule of law – used by the EU – is provided making reference to its most relevant dimensions. The analysis will be especially focused on two countries: Romania and Serbia-Montenegro. Empirical evidence shows that EU implements similar strategies both in candidate countries and in potential candidate countries.