Eu Human Rights Analysis

Introduction

While it is certainly true that the EU´s foreign policy has embraced the domain of human rights in many ways, the question of whether the human rights principles play an essential role in the EU´s foreign policy, and therefore shape this domain of external action is way more complex.

Starting point to undergo this analysis is the question of which kind of power Europe represents. It is clearly notable that Bull’s notion of military power is not sufficient to justify the promotion of human rights in EU foreign policy, neither in an essential nor in an auxiliary manner. Even Duchene´s and later on Twichett and Maull’s notion of civilian power, point in the direction of economic power rather than military but still in the context

How does the EU promote human rights within its foreign policy?

Since the 1990´s it has become a common practice in European foreign policy to link human rights principles and the rule of law to economic and humanitarian aid deals, mainly with developing countries. This politic has been followed pushed forward by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union.

The European Union has since then relied on three major instruments to promote human rights within its foreign policy: political conditionality, the provision of aid for human right programmes and diplomatic instruments .

1. Political conditionality. Political conditionality can be positive or negative. Positive conditionality promises benefits in the form of aid, trade agreements or economic advantages when certain conditions in the domain of human rights, democracy, freedom of speech, etc. are met. Negative conditionality works in the opposite way, threatening with cutting aid or economic advantages if the human right principles and/or rule of law are

This inconsistency in the way of understanding international deals at least raises the question if human rights provisions can be considered an essential part of the EU’s foreign policy. An example would be the case of Turkey, where the value of the strategic position of Turkey as link between Europe and Asia, link to the Middle East, partner of the NATO and partner in the migration deal, has created a political scenario in which the EU is unable to act according to its own principles despite the clear breaches of human right provisions, rule of law, freedom of press etc. in a country that is a candidate for accession to the European Union. Through this example it is notable how difficult consistency in human rights provisions is, when other strategic interest are a part of the