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Labeling and Normative Actorness in EU Middle East Policy

Kurbjeweit, Frieder (2016) Labeling and Normative Actorness in EU Middle East Policy.

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Abstract:Normative Power is often proposed as a way for the EU to secure it a significant role in the Is-raeli-Palestinian conflict. The labeling of Israeli settlement products was widely received as a possibility for the EU to differentiate itself from settlements and boost its normative profile. The political dimension was however largely erased from labeling and the issue completely diffused to European consumers on the grounds of internal legal necessities rather than a clear rejection of settlements regarding their illegality under international law. The interpretative notice on label-ing was not the outcome of a new normative self-construction by the Union, but rather a result of a number of self-interested governments feeling the need to bolster their normative standing and relieve themselves from internal pressures. Because of division between different camps with diverging interests in favoring or opposing labeling, the provision is politically inconsistent and carries the potential for inefficient application. Considering the importance of immediate action against settlements to secure the European goal of a two-state-solution, the potentials for opposing member states to defect from it have not been sufficiently ruled out. A significant up-grade for the EU´s standing as a normative power concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is thus unlikely.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:89 political science
Programme:Management Society and Technology BSc (56654)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/70505
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