ABSTRACT

The European Union (EU) is, as a result of the Iran deal, a prominent actor in non-proliferation. The EU is often criticized for a lack of strategy. Both an EU security strategy and a non-proliferation strategy were approved at the outset of the negotiations in December 2003. This chapter introduces the focus of these strategies: the concept of effective multilateralism. There are three constitutive principles in multilateralism according to Ruggie. The first is indivisibility, such as in collective security arrangements where an attack on one is seen as an attack on all. The second is non-discrimination, which implies that all parties are treated similarly. The third is diffuse reciprocity. The legal base for the Iran nuclear negotiations has been the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a voluntary, multilateral treaty signed in 1968 and a response to the fear that nuclear weapons would spread. The treaty consists of three pillars: nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear technology.