The EU as a Policy Exporter – a Conceptual Framework

The EU’s impact on global governance in different policy areas remains largely still a research desideratum. The first part of this paper establishes different indicators for mapping the relative importance of sectoral EU regimes in the multi-level global governance system, as compared to both national and global activities. Drawing on the literature on international norm diffusion and the IOs role in global governance institutions the second part of the paper distinguishes different pathways, mechanisms and conditions of EU policy export to the global level. The EU can rely on its strong representation in key International Organizations/Regimes to promote its policies globally (vertical policy export through IOs). Furthermore, it can shape global outcomes using its bilateral influence to entice other actors to adjust to EU policies and norms (horizontal export through norm diffusion). In both its horizontal and vertical dimension, EU policy export occurs through different mechanisms. Here, we distinguish active EU policy export from passive export, resulting from the EU’s mere ‘presence’ in international affairs. On the other hand, we distinguish mechanisms of EU policy export that build on a rationalist ‘logic of consequence’ (bargaining, policy externalities) from mechanisms that are based on a ‘logic of appropriateness’ (persuasion, emulation). Based on these different pathways and mechanisms, a number of conditions are specified that facilitate or hamper EU policy export.