By all accounts, the events in the southern Mediterranean call for a serious rethink in Western policies towards the region. The aim of this article is to explore what such a rethink might entail for the European Union and whether the preconditions exist to implement such a rethink. Reviewing the European Neighbourhood Policy by revamping the benefits on offer, reconsidering the effective use of conditionality, establishing adequate monitoring mechanisms and engaging with a number of partners both within and beyond the region is imperative