EU attempts to export norms of good governance to the Mediterranean and Western Balkan countries

Abstract:
An assessment of the EU international role as a normative power and its capacity to export norms of good governance (in particular democracy and human rights protection) to Mediterranean and Western Balkan countries is provided. A normative analysis is adopted to compare the EU Human Rights and Democratization (HRD) policy towards the two regional areas. Has the EU HRD policy the potential to foster political changes in the targeted countries? This comparative analysis suggests that when the enlargement is a long term prospective the EU initiatives can favour the local political reform process (as in the case of the Western Balkans); but when the EU adopts a comprehensive framework of regional cooperation (such as the EuroMediterranean Partnership) it is difficult to effectively promote democracy and human rights protection.