The European Union as a normative power? : an analysis of the role of the European Union in the Southern Mediterranean

Abstract

In the academic world there is a lot of discussion about the distinctiveness of the European Union as an actor in global politics. A large debate has emerged especially about the role of the EU as a normative power promoting democracy and human rights. In this research the role of the EU with regard to the Southern Mediterranean will be discussed. Role theory will be used for this goal. This means that three aspects of the role of an actor will be explained: (1) the internal role conceptions, (2) the external role prescriptions and (3) the role performance of the actor in practice. This will be done by looking at the policies of the EU towards the Southern Mediterranean from 1995 until now. In 2011 the Arab Uprisings took place in the region. In a response to this, the EU reviewed its approach towards the region. What does this mean for the role of the EU in the region? Key Words: EU - Role Theory - Normative Power - Southern Mediterranean Neighbourhood – Arab Spring