The EU and the sanctioning of norm violations
Type
doctoral thesis
Date Issued
2021-09-20
Author(s)
Abstract (De)
This thesis provides new insights into the characteristics and determinants of EU sanctioning policies by investigating: In what way and under which conditions does the European Union (EU) sanction the violation of norms? The extant literature about the nature, use, and effectiveness of sanctions is based primarily on cases involving the US and the UN. As a result, we lack an adequate understanding of the EUs decision-making especially at a time when it is an increasingly important actor in international relations. By studying how (characteristics) and when (determinants) the EU sanctions, I show that the EU pursues a gradualist approach emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy, and uses the threat of sanctions as a strategic foreign policy tool. Yet, in the cases of brute violations of human rights and democratic freedoms, the EU eschews diplomacy and imposes sanctions. In line with previous research, my findings also indicate that economic and political interests are influential determinants of EU sanctioning. Notably, although the EU is unlikely to act against close political, and especially, economic partners, it uses sanctions against economically dependent countries. Moreover, the EUs decision to impose sanctions is also determined by the severity and visibility of violations. My statistical finding about the EUs sensitivity to bloodshed, especially when subject to extensive media coverage, is supported by interviews with sanctions-experts in Brussels. This thesis comprises three studies that analyse the EU as an international sanctioning actor sui generis. Using a mixed-methods approach combining regression analysis with in-depth case studies, I investigate the extent to which and how the EUs multi-level governance structure determines its sanctioning policies by shaping both, its institutional decision-making constraints and its preferences for selecting certain policies following norm violations. Paper 1 delineates a research agenda for considering the role of the EUs multi-dimensional constitution in affecting its sanctioning policies. Paper 2 unpacks the relationship between media coverage and EU sanctioning, and shows how the salience of norm violations determines the likelihood of sanctioning. Paper 3 compares the sanctioning policies of the EU and the US by focusing on their respective institutional setups.
Language
English
Keywords
Europäische Union
Sanktion
Menschenrecht
EDIS-5103
European Union
human rights
democratic freedom
EU foreign policy
violation
sanctions
HSG Classification
not classified
HSG Profile Area
None
Publisher
Universität St. Gallen
Publisher place
St.Gallen
Official URL
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
264401
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Dis5103.pdf
Size
5.09 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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