The constraints to EU action as a ‘norm exporter’ in the Mediterranean

ABSTRACT: By focusing upon EU attempts to act as a ‘norm entrepreneur’ in the relations with the Mediterranean countries, this paper enters into the debate on the EU’s type of participation in international politics. Assuming as a starting point that it has been regarded as ‘actorness’ (Sjöstedt, 1976), ‘presence’ (Allen and Smith, 1990; 1998), ‘role’ (Hill, 1993; 1998), ‘impact’ (Ginsberg, 2001), ‘normative power’ (Manners, 2002), this paper provides some empirical evidence to explore the EU capability to ‘extend its norms into the international system’ (Manners, 2002) and the difficulties it faces in the Mediterranean area. Since the 1990s EU relations with the Mediterranean countries have adopted a ‘comprehensive approach’ which is made up of a three-fold strategy which assumes as distinct but interrelated the following fundamental components: (a) political and security cooperation, (b) economic and financial cooperation, (c) cooperation in social and human affairs. Thus, th...