Prior to the "Arab Spring",the EU's policy towards the Middle East and North Africa focused mainly on institutionalizing its relationship with the countries in this region.It carried out a sequence of projects such as the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership,the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean.However,none of them has fulfilled the original objective to realize prosperity and stability in the region.After the Arab "democracy wave",the EU and its member states immediately adjusted their policies and turned to support the regime change in the Arab world.In addition,they adopted a hard-line foreign policy by utilizing a range of strict sanctions,which changed the world's traditional view towards the EU as a "civil power".Within a world pattern where the US is shrinking its presence,the EU,by seeking to realize the "efficacy" of its "effective multilateralism",has enhanced its international influences.However,it still has to depend on the US to carry out its military and foreign policies towards this region. <<