A comparative study: Where and Why does the EU Impose Sanctions?

Abstract

The use of the EU instrument of political and economic sanctions has continually been rising since 1987. However, the sanctions are used differently according to geographic vicinity, political motivation, and which security objectives the EU promotes. Clara Portela explored the European sanction regime for the period 1987-2003 and showed that the EU has different political motivations and objectives for each region and that, in particular, geographic vicinity plays a significant role for the application for sanctions. This article relates to Portela´s analytic approach from 2005 and verifies her hypotheses for the period 2005-2015. In summary, the article shows that the EU still focuses on geographic vicinity and security relevance. Only the area of sanction application has changed, moving from Eastern Europe to the Middle East.

Keywords

• the sanctions are used differently according to geographic vicinity
• political motivation
• and which security objectives the EU promotes. Clara Portela explored the European sanction regime for the period 1987-2003 and showed that the EU has different political motivations and objectives for each region and that
• in particular
• geographic vicinity plays a significant role for the application for sanctions. This article relates to Portela´s analytic approach from 2005 and verifies her hypotheses for the period 2005-2015. In summary
• the article shows that the EU still focuses on geographic vicinity and security relevance. Only the area of sanction application has changed
• EU foreign policy
• sanctions
• Eastern Europe
• European Security Strategy
• European Studies
• International Relations
• Southern Mediterranean
• Russia