What Is the Added Value of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime?

The European Union’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EUGHRSR), adopted in December 2020, is expected to augment the role global normative diplomacy. Although Council has a long history of responding human rights violations through geographic sanctions regimes, EUGHRSR first thematic regime on topic with general scope applicability. This article investigates what distinctive added value design brings compared longstanding approach. envisaged as more legalized accountability mechanism and its presumed lie helping depoliticize by shifting target focus away from states. shows that this presumption can be unattainable or undesirable successful implementation necessitates bringing state into centre analysis. particular order successfully deploy an integral part EU common foreign security policy, (i) align designation targets EU’s policy strategies, (ii) take pro-human reforms third countries ground for de-listing, even absence individual accountability. Taking these positions, however, blurs line between sanctions, therefore requires careful coordination trade-off. damages, non-contractual liability, CFSP acts, normalization, CSDP missions operations, restrictive measures, jurisdiction, CJEU, sanctions.