What influences the European Union’s (EU’s) policy towards human rights abuse in third countries? What effects do the EU’s punitive measures have on the subsequent human rights situation? In literature, there is no consensus about the effects of such an instrument; moreover, scholars often question the consistency of its application in regions where the EU has strong strategic interests. Utilizing time-series cross-section analysis of twelve former Soviet republics over two decades, the present article demonstrates that the severity of imposed measures is guided by the actual human rights situation, and the presence of competing interests does not determine their intensity. Additionally, coercive measures are shown to have a positive effect on the subsequent human rights situation. At the same time, competing interests of the EU prove able to undermine the instrument’s ex-ante credibility and, thereby, limit its potential impact.
European Foreign Affairs Review