Saudi-EU Relations: Recent Impediments, Current Trends and Future Options

The article examines the state of the EU-Saudi Arabia relations. Despite the existence of common interests between the two actors in the post-Cold War period, no substantial legal or institutional development has taken place in the relationship. Arguably, one of the reasons for this poor record is the normative fervour in EU's foreign policy, evident not only in the Treaty base but also in the Union's external practice as demonstrated by the post-Cold War relations of the EU with the Central and East European Countries (CEECs) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Engaging critically with the EU's external practice, the article spells out its underlying logic and outlines how it has impeded the development of a closer relationship with Saudi Arabia, thus obstructing the possibilities for norms-transfer. The last section presents socialization as an alternative to the currently prevailing EU external practice. Recent trends in Saudi/GCC-EU interactions show a move towards greater cooperation on pragmatic issues, which have potential to enable norms-transfer through increasing the interactions between the parties. Some general ideas of how the EU can make the most of socialization are also offered, thus presenting some future options for the relationship.