ABSTRACT
In the extensive literature problematizing European Union (EU)–Russian relations one sometimes encounters allusions to a so-called “normative gap” or a “gap in values” without much further elaboration. This chapter is devoted to the problem of a variation of the “normative gap” that is believed to inhibit EU–Russian relations and hinder the development of more intensive cooperation between the Union and Russia. Its presumed existence calls for closer examination of the normative underpinnings of the interacting actors with an aim of exposing normative (dis)similarities between them as units of analysis along with an actual degree of commitment to the respective self-proclaimed normative agendas and consistency in their pursuit. In other words, given perpetuating disparities in understanding and living up to the normative and value-based standards between the EU and Russia, I intend to look into the ways of conceptualizing the “normative gap”, inquire into its dimensions and the ways of measurement and manifestation and provide a brief assessment of the current dynamics.
