The Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Union and the Russian Federation, which will reopen for talks in early December, sounds and feels very appealing from afar.  Like any well marketed piece of diplomacy, it contains all the words that make us feel safe, fair, and respectful, providing for (in theory) a legal framework to guide relations between the EU as a whole and Russia – in such difficult spheres as energy, investment, and security.  Recently it was decided to resume the negotiations to prepare a new PCA with Russia following a punitive delay in the wake of the invasion of Georgia, despite Moscow’s failure to withdraw troops to positions held on Aug. 7, as agreed in the Sarkozy-brokered plan.

But can the PCA really solve so many problems so quickly?