Titolo completo

Uses of Law in EU Foreign Policy

This Special Issue investigates how, by whom, and with what effect law is used in EU foreign policy, moving beyond traditional views of foreign policy as a purely political domain. Against a backdrop of increasing challenges to the rules-based international order, understanding the role of law in the EU’s external conduct is critical. Bridging legal and political science scholarship, the Special Issue employs an analytical framework focusing on actors (both institutional, state and non-state, including individual), means (ranging from judicial and non-judicial) and outcomes (legal, policy and ideational). The contributions demonstrate that law is a dynamic and contested resource used instrumentally. A key distinction emerges: EU institutions primarily use law to govern and balance competing interests, while non-state actors and individuals employ it as a tool for contestation, either to defend their own interests or to pursue broader political change. By examining a wide range of policy areas, the Special Issue reveals complex patterns of legal mobilisation. It complicates the narrative of the EU as a purely norm-driven actor and highlights the role of bottom-up dynamics in shaping foreign policy, mirroring broader global tensions between legal idealism and political realism.
Keywords: EU foreign policy, EU law, legal mobilisation, strategic litigation, lobbying