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

In asking what roles the European Union (EU) plays in international politics, this chapter explores the extent to which the EU can act as a norm exporter. In particular, the chapter asks whether the EU is able to promote the adoption of norms in defence of human rights and democracy (HRD) through regional co-operation. Is the EU so influential as to compel its partners to comply with EU HRD standards? The conceptualization of the EU’s role as an exporter of norms to promote HRD in the Mediterranean, the performance of the EU’s role within the framework of regional co-operation and the impact of the EU’s role on Mediterranean non-member countries (henceforth Med countries) are the issues which will be addressed in this chapter.1