Citation

Erickson JL. Eur. J. Int. Rel. 2013; 19(2): 209-234.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, European Consortium for Political Research, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1354066111415883

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Arms transfers are both an economic necessity for the European arms industry and a potential obstacle for the EU's emerging normative power role. Nevertheless, research on how well EU members' arms trade mirrors EU normative power rhetoric is scarce. To help fill this void, I use regression analysis to examine the relationship between EU arms exports and human rights, conflict, and democracy in recipient states from 1990 to 2004. A case study of the China embargo debate provides a more in-depth assessment of the politics behind EU arms transfers. Both analyses reveal a questionable relationship between EU norms and arms transfer practices. The findings suggest, first, that domestic-level material and normative concerns remain important to the formation and execution of EU foreign policy and, second, that low levels of EU socialization may hinder the creation of a single European external identity.

Language: en